


A Peace Sign to the Sky

by baileek313



Series: RWBY in My Hero [2]
Category: RWBY, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe, Childhood Friends, Class 1-A Shenanigans (My Hero Academia), Crossover, Gen, Good Parent Taiyang Xiao Long, Protective Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Protective Ruby, Todoroki Enji | Endeavor's Bad Parenting, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, its my special brand of slow burn, looking at you tenya, not everything is explained immediately, the first two chapters contain a lot of recap just a heads up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-11-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 127,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24109597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baileek313/pseuds/baileek313
Summary: Ruby Rose has always dreams of being a hero, and now her dream is starting to become a reality. But, even with her still reeling from her very first encounter with a group of villains, things don't seem to be slowing down. Fighting during the Sports Festival, standing alongside friends during internships and standing alone in the face of final exams… the rest of Ruby’s first semester at U.A. is looking to be an interesting one!
Relationships: Class 1-A (My Hero Academia) & Ruby Rose (RWBY), Jaune Arc & Ruby Rose, Midoriya Izuku & Ruby Rose (RWBY), Ruby Rose & Iida Tenya, Ruby Rose & Todoroki Shouto, Ruby Rose & Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose (RWBY) & Uraraka Ochako
Series: RWBY in My Hero [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1595581
Comments: 92
Kudos: 116





	1. Back to Business

**Author's Note:**

> Alright! I've gotten a few chapters done, so I think it's a good time to get started on v2! If you're coming straight from v1, I apologize as there is a great deal of recap for those who probably haven't in the first two chapters, which actually were supposed to be one. But then the page count would have been twenty, and that's just... way too much. So I split it up.
> 
> This fic picks up right where the last one left off. Just to recap, the premise of this series is Ruby in Class 1-A. There's a bit of divergence from canon here during the Sports Festival because of various reasons. One being that I wanted Ruby in the tournament. ...actually, that's the only reason.
> 
> Anyway, before I spoil a lot in this fic, I'm going to get on with the story. We're going from the Sports Festival to the Final Exams here, so this fic is going to be much longer than the last one! I hope you all enjoy! 
> 
> Warning: This chapter contains recaps of previous events, Pro Heroes called by real names, exposes some stuff that happened last volume that I didn't touch up on (*cough*oneforall*cough*) and mentions of injury. And a mummy. Enjoy!

Barely a day had passed since that awful incident. And yet, here they were. What U.A. staff members could be there were gathered in the staff’s meeting room. The rest were handling public relations, as well as working with the police to investigate what exactly happened (although he was certain that Yamada was at the hospital where Thirteen and Aizawa were being treated, having rushed off the moment he found out their location).

He just happened to be one of the lucky few that managed to escape the scourge known as the media. They loved tearing heroes apart, trying to blame them for something that was out of their control. It was something that he had seen multiple times. It didn’t bother him when the media had their canines focused on him, but it did bother Ozpin when it was directed towards colleagues and friends… which he was pretty sure that they were doing to Glynda at the moment. ...he owed her one for this.

But nothing churned his stomach worse than what he was hearing right now. The entirety of the USJ Incident made him… well, extremely unsettled would be the words he used later on, but they didn’t describe what he had been feeling in detail. Villains had gotten into the school. Villains had attacked students. They attacked  _ children _ . He supposed it was only luck that those children were able to fight back.

Ozpin shook his head, trying to pull himself away from the anger building as he thought about it again. As unsettled as it made him, he had to focus on the current relay of information coming from the detective in charge of the investigation. If he remembered correctly, the man’s name was Naomasa Tsukauchi. Toshinori had introduced them once, a couple of years ago. He was a trustworthy man.

“We’ve made some progress, but we can’t find anything on this Shigaraki so far,” said the detective, letting loose every ounce of information the police had uncovered about the so-called ‘League of Villains’ that had masterminded the attack. “We’ve searched our records for men in their twenties or thirties who are registered as having some sort of disintegration Quirk, but so far, we’ve come up empty. Same for the Warp Gate villain, Kurogiri. So they’re not citizens or they’re using aliases. Hard to find, either way.”

“So what you're really saying is we don’t know anything,” said Kan, the homeroom teacher for the other first year hero course students, summarizing about what half of the table was most likely thinking at the time.

“We’ve gotta track ‘em down,” added Snipe, whom Ozpin was sure was the only staff member at the table whose name he still had yet to learn. “I shot their ringleader, but once he heals up, he’ll probably try pullin’ somethin’ like this again. What a pain.” Ozpin let out a short sigh, leaning forward so that his elbows were resting on the table.

“Then we should take care of the problem now before it becomes a problem. Increase security on campus where we can,” he suggested. “Besides this investigation, the safety of the students should be one of our top priorities. Let’s not forget that they purposefully attacked when they knew a class would be taught.” It hurt him to think about what would have happened had the students been unable to defend themselves before the staff showed up.

“He did seem like the type…” Toshinori muttered just loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

“Is something on your mind, All Might?” asked the principal, turning his gaze on the man who had just spoken his thoughts out loud. At least, that’s what Ozpin assumed what had happened if Toshinori’s brief surprise said anything.

Toshinori sighed. “The attack on the USJ was… too bold. No sane adult would ever attempt it. The ring leader kept monologuing about the reasons he was there. And he bragged about Nomu’s many Quirks, but he never said a word about his own powers. When things didn’t go his way, he was visibly upset. Like he was gonna throw a tantrum. Ahh… I guess bragging about Nomu’s Quirks as a quick way to draw me into a fight.”

So, basically he was a grown man acting like a child?

“That might be true, but strategically, it was foolish to reveal his Quirks up front instead of keeping them a secret,” said the principal, getting a nod from Tsukauchi in agreement. That didn’t seem to be the end of it, though.

“Shigaraki made wild, immature claims, but did so with a completely straight face. And he talked about Nomu like he was some kind of pet. It seemed like he’d never been told ‘no’ before — like he thought things would go his way no matter what. He has the personality of a spoiled little brat. A man-child.” So, it seemed like that earlier theory was right. This ‘Shigaraki’ was nothing more than a grown child.

“A child with incredible power, though,” Kan added. And there was that to worry about, too. Ozpin turned to the detective.

“You said that his Quirk was some sort of disintegration, right?” he asked.

“According to the statements we received from the students and Eraserhead, yes,” Tsukauchi replied. There was the basis of it. The real question Ozpin wanted answered was just how dangerous was that Quirk? Disintegration… Something like that had many dangerous applications.

“It’s possible he never got the Quirk counseling students receive in elementary school,” suggested Kayama, perhaps one of the only teachers at the table that wasn’t bound by teaching only the hero course students.

“Maybe so,” said Snipe with a short shrug, “but it doesn’t matter now.” Tsukauchi went on with his report.

“There were 73 villains arrested in the aftermath of the USJ attack. They were all small-time thugs who usually lurked around back alleys,” the detective continued. “Among them was underground crime leader Roman Torchwick, who specifically bought on those criminals himself and even targeted one of the students in 1-A. A girl named Ruby Rose, who had fought with him a few months ago.” Ozpin went stiff at hearing that. That criminal and that fight… He heard Toshinori cough beside him.

“She did what?” said Kayama, cobalt eyes going wide in slight alarm.

“Miss Rose and Torchwick had an unfortunate encounter with each other shortly before the entrance exam. She managed to stop a robbery he was attempting before myself and my partner stepped in,” Ozpin explained, replaying that encounter in his mind. It had been an uneventful patrol before that incident took place… it was made even more eventful when the girl stepped in. “He managed to escape, and since what Miss Rose did was technically an act of vigilantism, her name was kept out of any public releases. His own stubborn pride is what brought him to seek her out and attack her. She’s fine and made it out with minimal injury thanks to her classmates.”

Kayama let out a sigh, looking slightly relieved. Well, that seemed to put her at ease. Good.

“It worries me that this ‘man-child ' got him to follow his crazy plan,” said Tsukauchi, bringing the conversation back to its original topic once more. “A criminal mastermind acknowledged him as a real leader, and in turn, so did those he brought on board. Criminals are starting to feel more pressure now that the world is brimming with heroes. That could be why they were so quick to back such a simple-minded villainy.” ...yes. Ozpin hadn’t thought about it at first, but now that he heard it out loud...

“Guess that makes sense,” said Kan.

“There are plenty a’ people out there lookin’ for a cause to get behind,” Snipe added. Overall, it equated to one thing. This was going to be a much bigger problem than Ozpin originally expected it to be.

“So, what can we do to stop them?” Kayama asked, expressing the one of the many,  _ many _ questions that were starting to form in Ozpin’s mind.

Tsukauchi did his best to answer that question, as well as put the teachers at ease. “Well, it is thanks to you heroes that we have this time to devote ourselves to this case. We’ll expand our investigation and continue searching for the perpetrators who planned this attack.”

_ That’s all we can do right now, isn’t it? _ There were barely any clues, and those two… Shigaraki and Kurogiri… they were still out there. There wasn’t a doubt in Ozpin’s mind that they would be trying to rebuild their forces as soon as they could. ...And when they did… there was the high possibility they would come after the students again.

“A man-child, huh?” Ozpin raised a brow as he heard the principal speak. “In some ways, he shares common ground with our students. They both have so much potential. And, like our students, I suppose it’s possible someone is guiding him, trying to nurture his malice and villainy.”

Toshinori sighed. “I don’t wanna think about what that could mean.” Ozpin couldn’t agree more.

The meeting soon came to a close after those hard-to-swallow revelations. The group dispersed, with the promise to reconvene when every member of the U.A. staff was present. It was probably for the best, especially considering the two teachers involved directly with the incident were still hospitalized. It didn’t work to put Ozpin’s nerves at ease. They need to act now, not later. They had to do something before the students were put at risk again. Every time he thought about the incident, he could only picture his own—

A tall, skeletal man with a head of wild blonde hair caught his eye. Well, he hadn’t been able to have a talk with him in a while… even though the circumstances weren’t ideal, this meeting provided a perfect opportunity.

“Toshinori,” Ozpin called out, picking up his pace by the slightest as Toshinori slowed down. The pair slipped into an easy conversation as they walked down the hall. “How's your injury? I heard that it was reopened.”

“I'm fine. I just have to be careful from now on,” Toshinori replied before letting out a sigh. “Seems my tenure as the Symbol of Peace may come to a close soon.” A moment of silence hung thick in the air.

“...I'm sorry that you got it in the first place.” To Ozpin, the whole fight was a pyrrhic victory. 

About six years ago now, Toshinori Yagi — known to the world as All Might — had gotten himself caught up in a fight with a powerful villain unlike ones anyone had ever known. While he defeated him, it left Toshinori with a horrible injury, resulting in a damaged respiratory system, the loss of his stomach and a scar on his left side that looked all too similar to a burst of lightning. Because of that injury, Toshinori’s ability to use his Quirk was drastically reduced. And Ozpin feared that after how hard he fought at the USJ, that time had decreased once again.

“It's not your fault,” said Toshinori, trying to reassure his friend. Ozpin’s hazel gaze narrowed behind the small sunglasses he wore.

“You shouldn't have been alone in that fight. You lost too much because of it. I should have been with you.” The image of a woman flashed into his mind: black hair that faded into red, bright silver eyes and an even brighter smile. Ozpin’s expression softened. “...Summer should've…”

“Her death was honorable, and her sacrifice wasn't in vain. As much as it pains me to say, I don't think she would've changed what happened that day. It's because of her that Ruby's still here.” Ozpin hummed in response to that. A parent’s desire to protect their child was perhaps one of the strongest in the world. And nothing that day would’ve changed Summer Rose’s decision to protect her daughter.

And that brought up something that Ozpin picked up on during the meeting.

“Speaking of which, I'm assuming you didn't know about the fight between Miss Rose and that criminal? “ Ozpin caught sight of Toshinori falter for a second. “Her sister and father were both informed. You still keep in contact with them, don't you?”

“I do. It's just… Last year, I was busy with something else.”

“Hm… training Izuku Midoriya, I presume?” Toshinori was not expecting that. Ozpin could hear him cough out of surprise.

“What?” Ozpin immediately handed a handkerchief over to his friend the moment he saw a bit of blood dribble out of his mouth. Toshinori accepted it without much of a problem. “Why would you say that?” Ozpin could barely contain the smirk he wanted to wear.

“We're not as clueless as you think.” ‘We’ being himself and the principal, but still. “All it took was watching what he did during the entrance exam for me to realize what you did. Those injuries were quite unexpected, though. If I recall, you didn't get injured like that when you first inherited that power.” Toshinori nodded.

Izuku Midoriya… quite the extraordinary boy, if Ozpin had to say so himself, even if he was a bit plain-looking and didn’t stand out much. During the school’s entrance exams a few months ago, the boy had sacrificed himself in order to protect another examinee in an impressive display of power… power that his body obviously couldn't handle, resulting in three broken limbs.

“I can only guess it's because we trained his body in a rush,” said Toshinori. “All of that was a year of hard work just so he could contain it. Control on the other hand…”

“He'll learn soon enough. Just as you did.” Even if the way the Quirk affected them was… vastly different. Especially in these beginning stages. Ozpin hummed with content as his mind drifted back to those older days. “...One for All. A truly extraordinary power indeed. A Quirk that is passed down from person to person… cultivated and made stronger…”

“You're talking out loud, Oz.” Ozpin blinked once before he felt a slight amount of heat on his face. Had he really said all that aloud…?

“My apologies, I was simply thinking,” Ozpin said quickly, tacking on a short laugh at the end for sincerity. “If you don't mind me asking, what made you choose him?”

Toshinori began his story with a short hum, “Believe it or not, I met him before I began teaching here.”

“I thought as much. You were looking for a successor in the first place.” It looked like Mirai’s words finally got to him. Part of Ozpin wondered if they were talking again, but… after that mess of an argument… and Toshinori’s stubborn streak… Ozpin shook his head. “But why him? I thought you would've chosen one of my students. Togata perhaps. Or even Nikos or Xiao Long. Someone with a bit more experience, at least.” And not susceptible to bone breakage.

“...I saw myself in him, I suppose. Before I met him, Izuku Midoriya had no Quirk. And yet… you recall the incident from last year? The one with the sludge villain?”

“Yes,” said Ozpin with a short nod. It was a particularly nasty incident almost a year ago now involving two middle school students. “Was it him who was caught in the crossfire?”

“No. That would be Young Bakugo.” ...that made a bit more sense, thinking back on it. The boy who was attacked sent his Quirk off in all sorts of directions to fight back… and mirrored that boy’s Explosion to a T. “Young Midoriya was the one who ran into help when the heroes — myself included — hesitated. He rushed in there without a plan and claimed his body moved on its own. Midoriya reminded me that day of something that I lost. He taught me what someone must do in order to be worthy as a hero.”

Silence fell rather quickly, along with the atmosphere that had been built up. Did he really think…?

“Toshinori…” Ozpin’s hand fell on the collapsed cane that rested on his hip, his thumb drifting along the shaft and it's activation mechanisms. “It's not your fault, either. You are a hero.”

“I know…” said Toshinori with a sigh, “you keep telling me that.”

“Because it's true. But I'm glad that you finally found your successor.” The image of the plain-faced boy with unruly emerald green curls flashed into his mind. He hadn’t seen much of him, but if what he did witness during the school’s entrance exams... “That boy… he has the potential to become one of the greatest heroes to ever live. A smaller soul is usually one of the strongest.”

“You've told me that before, too.” Once again, he had said it because it was true. And it seemed like Toshinori took that bit of advice to heart when choosing his successor… and Izuku Midoriya could not have been more simple. Then again… so was Toshinori. ...Well, now that Ozpin knew that Midoriya had One for All flowing through his veins now, that only left one question for his friend.

“What are you going to do about his—” Ozpin began before he was quickly cut off by Toshinori coughing again. This time, however, he was sure that he did it on purpose.

“For the time being, he doesn't need to know,” said Toshinori, lowering his voice so that no one but Ozpin could hear him. “Besides, we are in a time of peace.  _ He's _ no longer around, so that helps.”

It was Ozpin’s turn to sigh. “I'm here if you need my help, Toshinori. You know that. But there is someone who fits the—”

“She doesn't have it.” That had been… a fairly quick reply. A little too quick for Ozpin’s liking.

“It doesn't mean that she's not suitable for the job.” There was only a few months' age gap between the two of them, too, as opposed to the one Toshinori had with  _ her _ mother. They were friends as well, from what Ozpin had observed and heard about.  _ She _ was a natural born guardian for certain. There was very little room for doubt when it came to the fact that she would naturally take on that role concerning One for All’s newest holder in due time.

“It's not even my choice to make in the end. It's Midoriya's. And that's even if I decide to tell him about… them.”

“Will you?” Ozpin asked, a brow raised. Toshinori sighed.

“I sincerely hope that I never have to.” The two friends-turned-colleagues walked out of the U.A. building and into the night… Part of Ozpin hoped for that as well.

* * *

U.A. High School was closed the day after the League of Villains attacked the USJ. It was suspected that the school’s staff wanted the students (especially the first years who had gotten caught up in the fight) to relax after the whole ordeal. But for the students of Class 1-A, who had been the first years in question, it was hard to even think about that, much less do it.

For one Ruby Rose, that fact seemed to be true at least. The attack was playing in her mind every time she was alone. She thought about what she could’ve done differently, and if there was the possibility that she could’ve changed the outcome. It wasn’t a bad outcome exactly. Injuries were kept to a minimum and none of the students aside from one was hurt. Even then, those injuries had been self-inflicted. But the teachers… the teachers weren’t so lucky.

And Ruby felt like it was partially her fault. She had reacted too quickly, and tried to fight a villain head-on before she actually needed to. She was one of the reasons her classmates had to fight that day. All she really did was help slow her homeroom teacher and her rescue training instructor down. If it weren’t for the rest of the staff… the kids never would have stood a chance.

When it was finally time to return to school again, Ruby had two apologies written out: one that she was going to give her teachers, and the other her classmates. However… as Ruby entered Class 1-A’s homeroom… she didn’t think that her apology would be necessary. Not that she didn’t want to give it, she really felt like she had to. But most of her class waved it off. They told her that they would’ve done the same thing too, if they were brave enough.

Eijirou Kirishima (a redheaded boy whose Quirk allowed him to harden his skin into stone) and Katsuki Bakugo (an explosive blonde with an appropriate Quirk to match his personality) had different reactions, though. After all, when that warping villain cut off the kids from the exit, Ruby wasn't the only one to fight back against him. They had as well. Bakugo said nothing when she tried to apologize; he just looked incredibly irritated. Kirishima, a bit more on the friendlier side, told her to “not sweat it”. He did his best to make her feel better about what had happened. It worked for the most part.

Ruby supposed that the conversation the class was having helped. While they waited for the homeroom to begin, chatter seemed to fill the room. The topic? The kids weren’t given much time to talk about it with each other at first, but now that they were all together again, Class 1-A couldn’t seem to help themselves from talking about the USJ Incident.

“We’re totally big deals,” said Denki Kaminari (a blonde whose Quirk allowed him to cover his body with self-made electricity) as he leaned back in his seat. “Those news channels love us, we're basically celebrities.”

“Yeah, it’s kinda crazy, right?” added Kirishima. He wasn't far from off. In every news report Ruby had seen between their last class and now, things had mostly been focused around the USJ Incident and the investigation into it.

“Get over yourselves,” Kyoka Jirou (a punk-looking girl whose Quirk were the earphone jacks dangling from her earlobes,) swiveled around in her chair to face the two boys. “The hero course that pumps out pros was attacked, and that’s what they care about.”

Hanta Sero (a plain boy who could dispense tape from his elbows) leaned forward on his desk, resting his head in his arms. “Who knows what woulda happened to us if the teachers hadn’t shown up.”

“Why’d you say that?!” screeched Minoru Mineta, (the shortest member of 1-A who had balls growing on top of his head that could stick to anything). “I’m gonna pee myself just thinkin’ about it!”

“Oh, shut up!” barked Bakugo, only a few seats away, “Grow a pair, loser!” Ruby sighed, sinking down in her own seat a little.

“Sorry…” she said, apologizing once again. If it weren’t for her, maybe the teachers wouldn’t have needed to come and rescue them. They all could have gotten out safely and no one would’ve gotten hurt.

“Rose, relax,” Sero leaned back in his seat to address the girl sitting in the back of the classroom. “What happened happened. There’s nothing you can do to change it. Besides, we’re alright now.” Ruby hummed in reply. She guessed… still, it didn’t change how bad she felt about the whole thing.

“Come on, Rose, cheer up,” said Kirishima, throwing in his own bit of encouragement. “Look on the bright side. We weren’t hurt, Mr. Aizawa and Thirteen are going to make full recoveries, and almost all the villains were arrested.”

“Yeah, and it’s really weird to see you so down like this,” Kaminari added, earning himself a jab with a jack from Jirou. Ruby sighed.

“I can’t stop thinking about the whole thing,” she told them, straightening up. “I mean… I know All Might saved us, but… At the time, I thought it was cool. And it still is — it was like a video game or an anime. But… I don’t know. Something about it rubs me the wrong way.” She sighed again, shutting her eyes and letting the incident replay in her head.

She knew why it unsettled her so. It was because of Torchwick. He had brought a majority of those villains with him to the USJ as support in order to take her down. Villains that had attacked her classmates and teachers. She had told only a few people outside of the police about that ruin-in she had with him a while ago (those people being three of her classmates — Tenya Iida, Ochako Uraraka and later Izuku Midoriya). It twisted her stomach in so many knots to think that it was probably her fault that all those villains are there in the first place.

Her thoughts were broken when the class representative rushed to the front of the room and the podium that stood there.

“Attention!” said Tenya Iida as he made his way up there fast enough that Ruby thought he had used the engines in his legs to do it. The chatter began to settle. “Homeroom class is about to begin! Everyone stop talking and take your seats!”

“Uh, we’re all sitting?” said Kirishima. He was right.

“Yeah, you’re the only one standing,” Sero added. Iida had nothing to say. All he did was push up his glasses and walk over to his own seat, face flushed with embarrassment.

“Dang it!” Iida muttered thought stiff frustration. 

Ochako Uraraka, who sat directly behind him, patted his shoulder. “Don’t sweat it.”

As embarrassing as that whole thing was, Iida did have a good point. Ruby cast her gaze on the clock hanging upon the wall. Homeroom should have started by now. She looked over at the door. Where was…? Ah. Right… Ruby almost forgot.

Class 1-A’s homeroom teacher was a man by the name of Shouta Aizawa, also known as the Pro Hero Eraserhead. Like his name stated, Mr. Aizawa’s Quirk enabled him to temporarily erase the Quirks of others, so long as he was staring at them. All in all, it was a pretty useful Quirk for someone who was going to be training the next generation of heroes. The minute that the students had been put in danger at the USJ, Mr. Aizawa had thrown himself into the fight. While Ruby hadn’t seen him since then, she and the rest of the class got a full report on what happened. The fight left Mr. Aizawa literally broken. Iida had told her that he wasn’t even conscious by the time the teachers arrived. He was due to make a full recovery, as Ruby later picked up from a news report and her own uncle (whom like her father was a Pro Hero as well), but...

That whole situation raised a very important question. If Mr. Aizawa was still in the hospital, just who was going to handle Class 1-A for the time being? As if on cue, Ruby’s question was answered when the door to the classroom scraped slowly open.

“Morning, class.” Ruby’s eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped open. While everyone in the class cried out various phrases from the sheer shock of who stood there, all of it could be summed up as: ‘Mr. Aizawa, what are you doing here?!’

Ruby could hardly believe it, and yet here he was. Class 1-A’s homeroom teacher had returned for work barely even two days after being beaten to a pulp. Not that he didn’t go unscarred from the event. Every visible portion of Mr. Aizawa’s face was covered in bandages. Both of his arms were thickly casted and in slings.

Iida raised his hand up high as Mr. Aizawa limped to the front of the class. “Mr. Aizawa, I’m glad you’re okay!”

“You call that ‘okay’?” said Ochako. Ruby had to agree with her there. Even though she couldn’t quite make out his face, she had no doubt that Mr. Aizawa was in an incredible amount of pain. How was he even standing right now?

“My wellbeing is irrelevant,” said Mr. Aizawa. Ruby thought otherwise. “What’s more important is that your fight isn’t over yet.” A feeling of dread settled over the classroom. They had just got done fighting for their lives. Were they going to have to fight villains again so soon?! “The UA Sports Festival is about to start.”

“Yes!” shouted Kirishima, jumping up and out of his seat. “Let’s go kick some ass!” His upbeat reaction to the announcement alone enough to help relax the tense atmosphere. Ruby could’ve gone without the scare but… she was in the same boat as Kirishima, honestly. Kaminari stood up and pressed his hand to Kirishima’s face.

“Wait a second,” he said to the redhead, pushing him back down into his seat and cutting him off. While Kirishima managed to ease the tension somewhat, there were still some things to worry about.

“Is it really such a good idea to hold the sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?” asked Jirou.

“They could attack once we’re all in the same place,” added Mashirao Ojiro, a blonde boy whose Quirk was simply his muscular tail. Mr. Aizawa let out a huff, sounding exasperated at his students' concerns.

“Apparently, the administration thinks this is a good way to show that the threat has been handled and our school is safer than ever,” he explained. ...Actually… maybe  _ that _ was the source of his frustration. “Plus, they’re beefing up security compared to past years. This event is a huge opportunity for all students at U.A. It’s not something we can cancel because of a few villains.”

“Uh, I’m sorry, but why not?” asked Mineta. “It’s just a sports festival!”

“Huh?” Izuku Midoriya turned back to face Mineta before asking him: “Mineta, don’t you know how important this competition is?”

“Of course I do! I just don’t wanna get murdered.” Ruby didn’t think they were going to get murdered… Any villain who tried to attack during the Sports Festival would be incredibly stupid. After all, they would be attacking an arena filled with Pro Heroes. It was just common sense not to try anything.

“Our sports festival is one of the most watched events in the entire world. In the past, everyone obsessed over the Olympic games. But then Quirks started appearing,” Mr. Aizawa continued now that any objection seemed to stop. “Now, the Olympics have been drastically reduced in terms of scale and viewership. At least in Japan, anyway. For anyone who cares about competition, there’s only one tournament that matters. The U.A Sports Festival.”

“Pro Heroes will be watching us, too!” Ruby added, no longer able to contain her excitement over the festival. “They scout out students to recruit for internships that we get to do! This is our chance to show what we're made of!”

“Sure, unless you’re dead,” said Mineta. Ruby frowned. Well, someone was being extremely pessimistic.

“She’s right,” said Kaminari, backing up Ruby on this one. “After graduating, a lot of people join pro agencies as a sidekick.” Ruby nodded, confirming this.

“Yeah, but that’s as far as some people go. They miss their chance to go indie and stay eternal sidekicks,” said Jirou before turning to Kaminari. “Actually, there’s probably where you’re headed. You’re kinda dumb.” The look that fell on Kaminari’s face said nothing but ‘Jirou, why’.

“It’s true that joining a famous hero agency can garner you greater experience and popularity. That’s why the festival matters,” Mr. Aizawa said, taking the reins back from his students once more. “If you wanna go pro one day, then this event could open the path for you. One chance a year. Three chances in a lifetime. No aspiring hero can afford to miss this festival. That means you better not slack off on your training.”

“Yes, sir!” chimed the students of 1-A, now with their thoughts at ease and senses of excitement buzzing in the air. Ruby could barely sit still in her seat. The U.A. Sports Festival…!

“Class is dismissed.”

* * *

The school bell chimed as the last class of the morning came to an end. Ruby groaned, resting her head on her desk as soon as she heard that sound. It wasn’t that she didn’t like literature and all that stuff, but… it was just had for her to focus on it when it didn’t quite catch her attention. She straightened up, shaking her head. At least that was it for morning classes. Now it was time for lunch.

As Ruby shuffled her things together and stuffed them back into her school bag, she could just about hear the lid pop off the jar that the class had stored all their hype over the Sports Festival in. Ruby listened in as she dug through her bag for one more thing.

“That villain stuff sucked, sure,” she heard Kirishima say, finally letting his excitement fly once again, “but I’m pumped for these games!”

“We put on a good show, and we’re basically on the road to bein’ pros!” added Sero. Ruby shifted through her bag. She knew she put it here this morning… And it was pretty thick, it had to be here!

“Yeah, this is why I’m even here in the first place,” said Rikido Sato (whose Quirk was one of Ruby’s favorites among the class, letting him convert sugar into pure strength), punching his fist into his hand.

“We get so few chances,” Fumikage Tokoyami (a literal bird headed boy with the power to control a monstrous shadow inside of him) said. “We have to make the most of this.” He had a point… Ah! There it was. Ruby pulled out a binder from her bag. She had spent nearly all day yesterday making this (mostly to keep her mind off of things), and it served as part of her apology. Hopefully it would be accepted.

“This is gonna be nuts!” said Midoriya as Ruby stood. “Everyone’s so excited!”

“Well, yeah, of course we are!” Iida said as he stood up, making his usual, over-the-top gestures. “We enrolled at this school with the sole aim to become heroes. So naturally, we’re all getting fired up.” Ruby gathered her binder in her arms and walked over to where her friends were.

“Wow Iida,” said Tusyu Asui, a girl whose Quirk gave her all the abilities of a frog, “those are some interesting moves. Ribbit.”

Ruby shifted the binder in her arms, holding it tightly to her chest. “Aren’t you excited, Midoriya?”

“Well, yeah, of course I am!” Midoriya replied. Really? Because it looked like he was about to— “And also nervous.” There it was. “Hey, Rose? Anything you know that could help us?”

“Uh…” Ruby hummed. Due to her older sister being a third year at U.A., Ruby had not only some friendships built with upperclassmen, but knowledge about how the school worked as well. But in this case… she only could shrug. “I’m not sure. They change up the games each year, so we have to prepare for everything, I guess.” Midoriya groaned.

“Great…” Ruby shifted her binder into one arm before patting his shoulder in some method of reassurance. Well… at least it would help with adaptability, she supposed.

“Deku! Iida! Ruby!” That was… weird. 

Ruby raised a brow. “Ochako?”

Standing behind the three students was Ochako, her voice having dropped an octave. Her face showed nothing but determination… and honestly, she looked like she could punch someone in the face right then and there.

“Let’s do our best in the sports festival!” Ochako said, a fire burning in her eyes.

“Uraraka, what happened to your face?!” Midoriya said with a yelp. Ochako’s shift was starting to attract attention.

“Seriously, what’s up?” asked Mina Ashido, a completely pink girl with raccoon-like eyes who could secrete acid. At this point, everyone was staring at Ochako, completely bewildered by her behavior. “You’re normally, like, the most laid back girl ever.”

“PMS?” Mineta suggested. He was promptly and immediately smacked with Tsuyu’s tongue, who herself didn’t even bat an eye. Ochako grunted, taking a fighting stance as she raised her fist to the sky.

“Everyone!” she declared, “I’m gonna do my best!” 

“Yeah!” cheered Iida and Midoriya, with Ochako’s hype being so infectious, that it was making the boys grin.

“Yeah!” added Ruby and Ashido, with all four raising their fists with Ochako with just as much enthusiasm. Ochako turned to their other classmates, a few boys who had been trying to leave.

“I said, I’m gonna do my best!” she repeated, only getting more pumped up with each word. The boys lacklusterly, and a bit scared, raised their fists as well.

“Got it…” said Kirishima, being among the small group. “You okay? You kinda look like you’re losin’ it.”

“Once more for my peeps in the back!” Ochako just got more fired up instead of answering Kirishima’s question. “I said I’m gonna do my best!”

“Yeah!” Ruby hooked her free arm around her friend’s shoulder with a chuckle. “That’s the idea, Ochako!” Ochako’s mood was definitely infectious. Everyone was in a much better mood now then they were when class began that day.

_ I’m glad to see that everyone’s feeling better… maybe now…  _ Ruby looked down at the binder in her arm. Her grin grew wider.  _ Maybe this will work after all! _


	2. Fight On, 1-A!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids of Class 1-A attempt to help things get back to normal. Messes and mistakes are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains a bit more recap (though not as much in the previous chapter, it's mostly in the beginning), kids being wholesome and kids... well, getting to be kids. I love it when 1-A gets to act like they're actually teenagers and not just heroes-in-training.
> 
> That, and I needed something to fill in the gap where Midoriya's talk with All Might is. So, enjoy!

The students of Class 1-A were absolutely buzzing with chatter and excitement as they made their way to the cafeteria for their lunch break that day. The announcement of the U.A. Sports Festival served its purpose. After the attack of the USJ, the students needed some method to make them feel comfortable. And if the buzz of hype floating through the air meant anything, it meant that’s exactly what happened. 

Ruby walked briskly, keeping a small skip in her step as she made her way to the cafeteria with her friends and a small smile on her face. She shifted the binder she brought with her in her arms. It was a special plan that Ruby had come up with, and now that she thought about it, it could probably help with what the school was trying to do, too.

She was about to ask Ochako, Midoriya and Iida about what they thought about her plan (and reveal it to them) when Midoriya brought up a different topic altogether as they approached the cafeteria.

“Why did you decide to come to U.A.?” Midoriya asked Ochako. “What made you wanna be a Pro Hero?” Ochako stared at him, and Ruby raised a brow. Now that she thought about it… Most of the class had shared their motivations. And among Ruby’s friend group… had she not learned Ochako’s?

“Oh…. Well… because…” Ochako dropped her voice into a mumble, with Ruby barely being able to make out her words. Lucky for her, Midoriya had heard what she said just fine.

“Uh— For the money?" Wait, what?

“Hang on, you wanna be a hero so you can get rich?” Ruby asked. Ochako’s face went a dark shade of pink.

“If we’re cutting to the chase, then, yeah,” Ochako said, embarrassed at her motivation getting dropped like that. “I’m sorry if it sounds greedy! You guys have such admirable motivations. I hope you don’t think less of me now.”

“Not at all. Your goal is to support your wellbeing,” said Iida, making his usual hand gestures although a bit more subdued, “which is a perfectly admirable ambition to have.” Midoriya and Ruby both nodded in agreement.

“It’s just kinda surprising,” Midoriya added. Ochako sighed.

“Well, you see, my family owns a construction company, but we haven't gotten any work lately, so we’re flat broke,” she said solemnly. “Anyway, this isn’t really something I usually tell other people but…”

“Construction, eh..?” Iida repeated. Ochako nodded.

Midorya gasped. “If she got licensed, I bet she could use her Quirk to bring costs down a lot!”

“You could sell all of the lifting equipment since you could just float everything!” Ruby added, recalling what Ochako’s Quirk allowed her to do — if she touched something with the pads on her fingers, it could cancel out the object’s (or even a person’s) gravity. To undo it, all she had to do was press all of her fingertips together.

“I know, right?! I’ve been telling Dad that since I was a kid!” said Ochako, jumping up on the ball of her heels. She fell back, and her cheer fell with her. “But… He just told me that he’d be happy if I just went for my dream. That would make him happy… but…” Ochako gripped the hem of her jacket. “I’m going to become a Pro. I’ll sign with a good agency and make plenty of money. Then I’ll be able to let my parents have an easy life!”

The three of her friends stared at her. Ruby had no idea how strong Ochako’s resolve was. She softly smiled. Even though their motivations might have been different… it was amazing to her how they were all working towards the same goal. Ruby wanted to protect others who couldn’t protect themselves, and make sure they could have a happily ever after. Iida wanted to follow in the footsteps of his older brother — a popular Pro Hero in his own right. And Midoriya….

Wait, did she ever actually find out what Midoriya’s reason for being a hero was? Ruby’s train of thought was cut off when Iida started to applaud Ochako.

“That’s beautiful!” he said through over-exaggerated claps. “So noble! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!”

Ruby couldn’t help but let out a giggle, her head cleared of its earlier thought. “Go for it, Ochako! We'll be right behind you 100% of the way!” Ochako seemed stunned for a moment, then her earlier grin soon returned.

“Thanks!” she said. The cheer and Iida’s applause were caught off by a very hearty laugh. At this point, it was a laugh that Ruby had come accustomed to. The students turned as one of their hero course teachers’ came around a nearby corner with his trademark grin.

“Young Midoriya is here!” he said as he did so.

“Whoa, All Might!” said Midoriya with a bit of awe. Despite the fact that by now, All Might was a normal person to spot around the halls, it felt like the fact that the number one hero was their teacher would never feel like it was normal. “What are you doing here?”

“Lunch!” All Might revealed the wrapped bento he had in hand. “Ya wanna eat with me?”

Ochako choked on a giggle. “That’s adorable!”

“Whaddaya say?” Midoriya opened his mouth, although no answer came out. He turned to his friends, possibly trying to put together some sort of reply or excuse. As if picking up on this, Iida gave him a short nod. Ruby made a sort of “shooing” gesture, waving her hands as if she were pushing Midoriya away and towards All Might. Getting an invite like this from such a famous hero might’ve just been a once in a lifetime chance. Midoriya widely grinned.

“Sure thing!” he said before rushing off to join their teacher for the lunch period.

The remaining 1-A students made their way into the cafeteria. As usual, it was crowded to a certain degree. But at this point, it didn’t seem to bother Ruby as much anymore… she was just hoping that she could balance both her binder and her lunch tray in her hands.

“I wonder what he wanted with Deku.” Ochako mused aloud as she, Iida and Ruby got into the lunch line.

“Rose,” Iida turned to Ruby, “you said that when All Might was attacked during the USJ Incident, Midoriya tried to protect him, didn’t you?” Well…

_ “Midoriya!” Ruby called out as both Shigaraki and Kurogiri rushed All Might. Where Midoriya once stood was nothing but a cloud of dust. The boy had used his Quirk for a boost in speed, jumping towards All Might. Ruby could see his legs moving uselessly behind him. _

“Yeah. He broke his legs doing it since he used his Quirk, but yeah,” Ruby finally replied as her memory of it faded away. It was a downside to Midoriya’s amazing Quirk. He could supercharge his body with energy that made him faster and stronger... It is a literal superpower. But, unfortunately his body was unable to control it at this point, resulting in him getting seriously injured every time he used it. “Do you think that’s why All Might wanted to talk to him?”

“Perhaps… There’s also what Asui said on the bus.” What Tsuyu said on the bus…? Oh, wait!

_ “That power of yours. Isn’t it a lot like All Might’s?” Tsuyu asked. Midoriya then let out a yelp, almost jumping out of his seat. Was Tsuyu’s question that bad?  _

“Since their Quirks are so similar to each other, it’s possible that All Might’s taken a liking to him,” Iida continued. Ochako nodded in agreement. “How lucky!” Ruby nodded as well. She had to agree. Midoriya was so lucky to be close with such a famous Pro like All Might.

The lunch period continued on as usual. Ruby followed her friends over to their table (with Iida taking Ruby’s tray from her after the third time that she had nearly dropped it). Ruby cradled her binder to her chest with an ever pleasant smile. This was going to work! She was going to present her plan to the class and it was going to work. She could just feel it!

It helped that Class 1-A seemed to have gravitated towards each other today. The tables they were sitting at were all right next to each other. ...well, almost all of them. Ruby caught sight of one specific classmate sitting a small distance away from the others, lost in his own world in a corner. It wasn’t hard to miss him. Everything about him could be described as “dual-colored”. The right side of his hair was white, while the left was red. His left eye was turquoise, and the right was grey. Even his face wasn’t an exception: he had a large burn scar that covered a majority of the left side.

Ruby deviated from her path and approached where he had been sitting by himself.

“Hey, Todoroki!” she called out, waving her arm to catch his attention. Shouto Todoroki looked up from his lunch at her, soba noodles halfway in his mouth. “Come sit with us!”

“No thanks,” Todoroki replied curtly, slurping up the rest of his soba.

“Uh... okay.” Though a little disappointed, Ruby jogged over to where the rest of her class was sitting. Ashido tossed a grape to Ochako from across the way. Ochako caught in her mouth as Ruby made it there. Instead of sitting down — like she probably should have — Ruby unleashed her plan. She dropped her binder on the table with a grin, though the sudden bang made her friends flinch.

“Friends. Classmates…” Ruby glanced back at a spiky explosion of blonde hair. “Bakugo.”

“I heard that, Red!” she heard Bakugo shout from a table not too far away. Ruby ignored him.

“Four score and one day ago, I had a dream.” Ochako caught a berry that Ashido threw to her in her mouth. “That one day, Class 1-A could come together and have the most fun ever! And I think after what we've all been through lately, we could use it!”

“Rose,” Iida said, staring at the thick binder now that he could get a proper look at it. it was white, with the words ‘CLASS 1-A ULTIMATE BONDING PLAN’ written over a faint snowflake symbol in bright red marker. “Did you take one of my binders?”

“No. ...I took, er…” Ruby quickly coughed to cover up her slip-of-the-tongue, “ _ borrowed _ it from Weiss Schnee in Class 3-A.”

Momo Yaoyorozu (the class’s deputy representative whose Quirk allowed her to make anything) heavily sighed, glancing up at Ruby. “Rose, what are you talking about?”

“I want to kick off the Sports Festival with a bang!”

“Hey, Bakugo!” said Kaminari from the table Ashido sat at, nudging Bakugo next to him with his elbow. “Sounds like something you could do!”

“Shut up!” Bakugo snapped back as something came sailing through the air and towards Ruby’s table. An apple hit Ochako dead in the forehead. Ochako glared at Ashido.

“Sorry!” Ashido called out. Ruby sighed.

“Look, it's been a good while since the…” Ruby looked at her classmates, “...incident and after the Sports Festival announcement this morning, I feel like I can finally say that we can't let this get us down! We have the Sports Festival to look forward to and so much more! Our first year is going to be great! And with some help—” Ruby slammed a hand down on her binder’s cover— “I managed to put together a list of fun things we can do together throughout the year to encourage bonding as a class!”

There was a beat as her classmates stared at her. Tsuyu picked up the apple with her tongue.

“I'm not sure if I should be proud of your organizational skills or cautious of what you planned,” said Iida at long last. Ruby had only one answer to that.

“...yes!” Tsuyu threw the apple back towards Ashido. However, her aim must’ve been off or something because it struck Kirishima (who had been sitting next to Ashido) instead.

“Hey!” Kirishima cried out in surprise.

“My bad!” called out Tsuyu.

“I'm not sure this is a good idea,” said Tokoyami, having picked up on the conversation from a mere few seats away. Ruby sighed, finally sinking down into her seat. She began to pick at her lunch, shovelling bits and pieces of it into her mouth..

“Okay…” Ruby muttered in-between bites, “that's three out…”

“Three?” Ochako repeated. Ruby nodded, swallowing what she had been eating.

“I've already anticipated Bakugo and Todoroki sitting out. They don't like me very much. Especially after an um…” Ruby shovelled something quickly into her mouth as her face flushed red, “accident on the first day?” Her friends stared at her.

“Accident?” asked Tsuyu. Ruby nodded.

“I bumped into Bakugo, sneezed, activated my Quirk and I think I scared him?” Ruby sighed once again. “Anyway, it was like dominos. I knocked him over, set off his Quirk. He fell into Todoroki and set off  _ his _ Quirk. An explosion of ice... not one of my best first impressions.”

“Have you explained it to them?”

“I tried to explain it to Bakugo. It didn't go well…” If anything, Ruby felt like it just made things worse. “I think Todoroki knows, though. He isn't as cold to me anymore.”

“But isn't Todoroki cold towards everyone?” asked Ochako. Ruby could only shrug. He wasn’t giving her the cold shoulder anymore, and that was an improvement. Ruby felt like what happened in the USJ had something to do with it. She and Todoroki, along with Kirishima, Bakugo and Midoriya, had all witnessed All Might fight that day. Ruby guessed that being put on the front lines of a life-or-death situation could change a person’s view of someone.

“That doesn't matter,” said Iida as he stood. “But, I have to agree with Rose about her earlier statement. We should have good memories together as a class. However we spend our year, we should at least set aside a few days for bonding together in a better manner than we've had previously—”

“I GOT IT!” Ruby heard Ashido shout, followed by a yelp from Sero.

“I think that—” Iida was cut off when a slice of pie hit his face. Over at another table, Ashido stood frozen, still in her throwing position with wide eyes. Kirishima had his face in his hands. Sero and Kaminari had their hands over their mouths as they tried to stop laughing. Bakugo was simply staring at the sight. The students at the table were silent as Iida carefully took off his glasses, wiped off the whipped cream and slipped them back on.

Then chucked the pie back at Ashido. Iida missed and hit Bakugo instead. All twenty members of 1-A who were in the cafeteria at the time froze. Ruby could practically see the steam coming out of Bakugo’s ears. With an explosion erupting from the boy’s palm, Bakugo sent a heaping handful of whatever was on Kaminari’s plate flying towards Iida.

It landed right in front of Ochako and Tsuyu, splattering them completely. The girls cried out in shock, standing up as if they had been burned. It was Ochako who moved next, taking a handful of her own lunch and throwing it back at Bakugo.

The kids’ aims were horrible today. Ochako’s attack hit Sero instead of Bakugo. Sero hit Ruby instead of Ochako in retaliation, and Ruby hit Kaminari with a splatter of curry. Several members of the class had ducked away by now. 

Kaminari grabbed a bowl of rice that had been sitting at the table. He threw it at Ruby, who ducked with a yelp. It sailed over her head, striking a certain dual-color individual that had been sitting in the corner of the cafeteria. Todoroki sat still for a moment before grabbing the rice bowl with his right hand. It froze in an instant. Kaminari yelped, ducking as the rice bowl was chucked back at him. It shattered against the wall. Ruby snickered.

Oh, it was now  _ on _ .

“FOOD FIGHT!” Ruby cried out, partially as a warning to the other students in the cafeteria and partially out of pure glee. As food began to get thrown back and forth between the hero course kids, many students took the opportunity to flee.

The group split into two different teams a bit too naturally. On one side of the fray was Ruby, Iida, Tsuyu, Ochako and Todoroki. On the other were Ashido, Kaminari, Sero, Kirishima and, of course, Bakugo. And now that the cafeteria was cleared of students… they were free to go wild. Mina let out a cackling laugh.

“BLOW THEIR ASSES TO HELL!” Bakugo shouted, small explosions popping off in his hands.

“Ochako! Catch!” Ruby grabbed two handfuls of fried chicken and tossed them at Ochako. She caught them, activating her Quirk and letting them float into the air. iida, his pants rolled up to expose his engines, leapt up and kicked them, allowing the meat to go whizzing towards the opposite team Sero countered, rolling up his sleeves and using his tape to fling a few melons back at the opposing team. Tsu used her tongue to fling them right towards Ochako, who once again used her Quirk.

Ochako and Iida repeated their combo move again, this time sending the melons Sero threw at their opponents. One missed Sero, splattering against the wall. Two hit Kirishima, who had luckily hardened his upper body to protect himself from any harm. The last came rushing at Bakugo. He caught it in one hand, blowing it to bits and tossing the chunks back. Todoroki then leapt into the fight himself, freezing a few bread rolls to use as better projectiles. Those missed, too.

The lines were then crossed. Ochako leapt forward, running towards Kirishima. The hardened student met her in the middle, flinging up melon remains in her face. Ochako tried several times to get her hands on Kirishima in an attempt to use her Quirk on him. Kirishima ended up knocking her back while Ashido provided support. She threw Todoroki’s frozen bread back at them. The bread hit Ochako, sending her stumbling back and making her trip over a table.

Ruby grabbed a discarded tray off of the ground. She ran towards Kirishima just as Sero chucked a series of bread rolls up into the air. With a smirk, Ruby used her tray to smack them away and send them hurling towards her own intended target. They smacked him repeatedly in the face and Ruby’s smirk only grew wider. Her opponent disoriented, she raised her tray once again and threw it like it was a discus. Kirishima only had enough time to harden his face as it struck him dead on the forehead. He stumbled back, clutching his head as if the attack had actually hurt him.

But the loss of the tray left Ruby open. Both Kaminari and Sero saw this and took their chance. They rushed towards Ruby, Quirks and food at the ready. Lucky for Ruby, a member of her own team was not far away. Todoroki intercepted the attack from behind Ruby with a ketchup bottle. He squeezed the bottle as hard as he could and as fast as he could, sending an explosion of ketchup all over the tiled floor. Kaminari had the good sense to stop before he got caught in the trap. Sero, on the other hand, wasn’t so lucky. He slipped on the ketchup, sliding across the floor like a baby deer on ice. He eventually lost his balance, slipping and landing flat on his back before some nearby tables helped him come to a stop.

One down. Four more to go.

Kaminari jumped up on a table, scooping up yet another rice bowl as he went before taking aim at Todoroki. He missed him as Ruby sped into the line of fire, taking the blow for him. She fell back, sliding against the mess made on the ground until she was at the opposite end of the cafeteria altogether.

Todoroki grabbed a fish off of the ground, freezing it like he had been doing with all of the food he got his hands on thus far. He rushed towards Kaminari, swinging his makeshift-weapon as he did so. Kaminari ducked, trying his best to stay out of harm's way. Eventually, Todoroki made a wrong move. It gave Kaminari the perfect opportunity to grab the fish. He let his electricity fly. It fried the fish, and by extension, Todoroki. The boy let out a cry of sudden shock before going down himself when Kaminari pushed him back.

“Todoroki!” Ruby cried out. The teams were made once again even, but still… This was more like a sparring session than a food fight at this point.

Iida rushed forward with a burst of speed, meeting with Mina first. The pink girl was overwhelmed by how fast Iida had been moving, unable to stop the noodles that he had in his hand from hitting her face. Another blow sent her flying back, and Iida grabbed something off of the ground. With yet another pie in hand, he prepared to take down Ashido. He would have, too, if Bakugo didn’t intervene at the last second. As Iida let his pie lose, Bakugo took up a space in between them. He blew the pie to bits. Iida had unfortunately been close enough to take the backlash of the explosion, getting himself thrown across the room.

Okay, yeah. No… this was definitely a sparring session rather than a food fight. ...a food spar?

Tsuyu had moved up to the front lines by this point. She whipped out her tongue at a disarmed Kaminari. The muscle smacked him off to the side, throwing the boy against two soda machines with enough force to make them break. Soda cans and their contents leaked out, creating a large enough puddle to connect him and Tsu together. Kaminari smirked, electricity beginning to discharge itself off of his body. He let it fly once more, sending a current through the puddle and directly to where Tsuyu stood. The minor burst was enough of a shock to temporarily fry the frog girl. Tsuyu went down.

And Ruby was the last person on her team that was still standing. She grit her teeth, and dug her heel into the ground. Her maximum speed was pretty fast, so if she moved like that… It was only for a short time, but if she could do it…

Ruby smirked, now with a plan in mind. She activated her Quirk, running at full speed towards the remainder of her classmates. The tailwind that was created by Ruby in the moment dragged every amount of food that wasn’t stuck to the floor into following her.

Then, the ground slipped out from underneath her. Ruby let out a yelp as she was sent spinning, almost like a torpedo. The food-wind soon became a food hurricane as she rushed towards the opposing team without any clear way to stop. Its five members weren’t so lucky as to escape Ruby’s trap, either. They were caught in a hurricane, and it was too late to stop the inevitable as Ruby reached the other end of the cafeteria.

She ducked as she finally met with the wall, stopping and sliding out of the way as Bakugo, Kirishima, Kaminari, Ashido and Sero slammed up against the wall. The food came not long after, splattering all five of them with a mess that kept them briefly stuck to the wall. They slid down to the floor, defeated.

Ruby pushed herself shakily upon her feet, panting heavily. Well… that was one way to end it. She heard her classmates — both those on her team just now and her opponents — groan as they started to get up themselves. Oh… right. Maybe they went a little too hard there for a second… She was sure that Kaminari had knocked out a couple of them with his Quirk.

“You guys okay?!” Ruby called out, worried. She got another series of groans as a response.

“Shut the hell up!” Bakugo yelled back at her.

“We’re good!” Kirishima said as he held up his hand, giving her an ‘okay’ signal. Ruby looked back behind her. Her own team had been lucky enough to escape her final move, but had not escaped the attacks from the others.

“What about you guys?” Ruby said towards the two closest to her. Ochako and Iida nodded. “Tsu? Todoroki?”

“Fine,” Todoroki replied, his hair now standing on end with static.

“I’m okay!” Tsuyu called with a small “ribbit” as she pushed herself up on her knees. A small moment of silence hung in the air. It started with Ruby being unable to contain it, then it spread like wildfire. Soon, all of the kids were filling the cafeteria with the sounds of their laughter. Ruby caught Bakugo cracking a smirk, even though he was still ticked off at his loss.

All the laughter came to an abrupt halt when the cafeteria doors opened with a loud bang. The students whipped around to find Ms. Midnight, one of their teachers, standing there, hand curled around the fabric of her costume and just about ready to use her Quirk. She let go soon enough, probably because things had calmed down at that point. Unfortunately for the 1-A kids, standing behind Midnight was a very,  _ very _ silently-seething Aizawa. Ruby laughed nervously.

Oh no.

“Out of every day of the year, why do you choose today to do this?” Mr. Aizawa said, eyes narrowed. Ruby stood there, bracing for the lecture that was to come when Ms. Midnight put her hand on Aizawa's shoulder, just before he could go off on his students.

“Let it go, Shouta,” she said. Mr. Aizawa let out a huff.

“They’re supposed to be training to be the next generation of heroes.” Ruby sighed from relief. At least Mr. Aizawa didn’t sound  _ too _ mad. She rushed over to help her classmates up from where they had fallen. Kirishima was the one to help Bakugo back on his feet, as well as Mina (though the latter was the only one who accepted his help).

“But right now they’re still kids. It’s not something that they’ll have forever.”

Ashido rushed up to the two teachers, the rest of the students following shortly after. “It’s all my fault! I started throwing food first.”

“No, It was me,” said Iida, trying to take the blame himself. “I was the one who threw that pie at Bakugo and started the whole thing.”

“But we all kind of jumped in, too,” added Ochako, sounding guilty.

“And if I recall correctly,” Midnight leaned against Aizawa’s shoulder, “You, me and a few other people I will not name did something very similar during our stint at U.A….” Ruby covered her mouth quick enough to muffle her snicker at that image.

Mr. Aizawa groaned, either because of frustration or because of the pressure Midnight was currently putting on his shoulder. He turned his glare to his students. “The ten of you are to spend the afternoon cleaning up the cafeteria as punishment. Am I clear?” Wait, what?!

“But what about hero training?” Ruby asked. That’s what the afternoon was set aside for. At least for the students in the hero course, it was. It was something incredibly important that they couldn’t miss.

“Well, maybe you should’ve thought about that before you destroyed the place.” Destroyed the place? They didn’t…

The kids looked around. The U.A. dining hall was an absolute wreck. Tables had been knocked around, and food was splattered all over the floors. The walls weren’t untouched either, with the worst of it comin from Ruby’s final move and coating one part of the wall entirely with food remains. Ruby caught some of it even stuck to the ceiling. 

The participants themselves weren’t any better. They were all splattered with various stains from what they had thrown at each other. Kaminari, Mina, Kirishima, Bakugo and Sero had the worst of it. They were about covered head-to-toe in so much food that Ruby no longer recognized what stain was caused by what. Chunks of melon, bits of rice and bread, and some type of sauce was intermingled with their hair. How was Ruby going to explain this to her dad? Or even Yang?!

“Now start cleaning up if you want to be out of here before classes end. Nemuri, I’m leaving them to you.” Midnight nodded, and Aizawa turned to leave. But not before he let drop one little more bit of punishment for the students: “I’ll be notifying your parents as well.” Ruby loudly groaned. “I heard that, Rose.”

It was easy for him to do. Their teacher wasn't the one who was about to be grounded for an entire week. Maybe more. Ruby frowned. She was not looking forward to that lecture when she got home… Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby caught sight of Todoroki. He had gone unusually stiff. His expression was blank, and his eyes glazed over. Unlike the others in the room, he showed no visible reaction to Mr. Aizawa’s method of punishment.

“Todoroki?” Ruby put a hand on his shoulder. He flinched underneath her touch. She pulled back almost immediately. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Todoroki replied a little too quickly. Ruby opened her mouth to ask if he really was alright, when a loud clap from Midnight cut her off.

“Alright! Cut the chit-chat!” said the teacher, “Rose! Iida! Go get supplies from the janitor’s closet — quick as you can. The rest of you will pick up what you can until they get back. Then… the real work begins.” There were various replies, from minor complaints to variations of ‘yes, ma’am.’

As Ruby trailed behind Iida out the door, she spotted a very familiar mess of paper among the mess that she made of the wall.

...Ruby owed Weiss a new binder.

* * *

The ten hero course students who had participated in the food fight spent their entire afternoon cleaning up their mess under Midnight’s supervision. There was slight complaining over missing their training for the day (which was probably the classes everyone looked forward to the most). Ruby heard Bakugo muttering several… colorful words under his breath every time they passed each other.

By the time they got back to their classroom, it was time to leave for the day. Midoriya stared at the group as they walked into the room. He hadn’t been present for the fight at all, and didn’t believe it when he heard about what happened. But when his friends returned… well, the proof was right there all over their clothes.

“I can’t believe you guys missed out on an entire afternoon of training because you started a food fight…” said Midoriya, still in slight disbelief as the group gathered up their things. Iida groaned. Out of everyone, he felt the worst about what had happened. “Sorry! It’s just… I never expected you to take part in it, Iida.”

“I didn’t just take part in it,” Iida told him. “I  _ started  _ it.” Ruby put her hand on his arm to try and reassure him.

“Eh, we all kind of started it,” she said.

“Besides,” added Ashido as she walked up to the group, “I was the one throwing food at Uraraka in the first place.”

“Why were you even doing that?!” Ruby jumped back at Iida’s outburst. Mina simply shrugged.

“I wanted to see what I could get into her mouth from where I was sitting.” Iida groaned again, burying his face into his hands.

“Sorry, Iida,” said Ochako, apologizing for the fifth time that day as her face flushed pink.

“Look on the bright side, said Tsuyu, “at least Mr. Aizawa let us use the showers in the locker rooms to clean ourselves up.” Yeah… Ruby guessed that had to be a bright side to their punishment. They weren’t going home complete messes… and knowing her sister, Ruby wouldn’t be sprayed down with the hose by her when they got home.

“Yeah, but not our uniforms,” said Sero with a groan. He pulled on his jacket, which like half of the punished party’s clothes was stiff and covered with a variety of different stains from Ruby’s final move. “And how am I supposed to explain why my entire back is covered in ketchup? Thanks, Todoroki.” Todoroki looked up at him when he heard his name called. He said nothing, having been quiet and tense since the fight ended. “And you, too, Rose.” Ruby raised a brow.

“Yeah, we look like multi-colored nightmares because of that move you pulled,” said Kaminari. Oh… Ruby went red with embarrassment.

“Heh,” she laughed nervously, “whoops.”

“The heck was that anyway?” asked Kirishima, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

“Dunno,” Ruby said with a shrug. She racked her brain, trying her best to come up with an explanation as for what exactly happened without getting embarrassed by it. “I can move so fast that no one can see me if I tried hard enough, but that takes a lot of stamina and I can’t do it for long. I was trying to go that fast so I could take you all out but then I…” She sighed. There was no avoiding it. “I tripped and started spinning.”

There was a moment as her classmates stared at her.

“Wait a minute,” said Ochako finally, “so that whole thing was an accident?!” Ruby bit her lip and nodded.

“Pretty much… Sorry guys.” On the bright side, Bakugo hadn’t blown up at her over it yet… both literally and verbally. The class began to make their way towards the door.

_ “ _ ...was kind of fun, though,” muttered Ashido as the door slid open. Class 1-A stared at the sight that was waiting there for them. A flood of students was blocking the doors. And if Ruby had to guess, she would say that it was made up of the entire first year class. There was a beat. 

“U-Um… why the heck are you all here?” stuttered Ochako.

“Do you students have some sort of business with our class?” asked Iida.

“Why are you blocking our doorway?” said Mineta, “I won’t let you hold us hostage!”

“They’re scouting out the competition, idiots.” The class’s eyes fell on Bakugo as he walked up to the door. Much to Ruby’s surprise, he was the only member of 1-A who was strangely calm about this whole thing. “We’re the class that survived a real villain attack. They want to see us with their own eyes.”

“Bakugo—!” said Ruby, worried that he might blow up at their fellow classmates. Midoriya put a hand on her arm, stopping her from getting closer to him.

“Let’s just hope he doesn’t explode anybody…” he muttered. Bakugo walked straight up to the crowd and the door.

“At least now you know what a future pro looks like,” he said. “Now move it, extras.” Ruby heard both Midoriya and Ochako yelp at that. Bakugo definitely didn’t have any people skills, did he? Ruby made a mental note to ask Midoriya about that later. He and Bakugo did grow together after all.

“You can’t walk around calling people ‘extras’ just because you don’t know who they are!” Iida exclaimed. Ruby groaned. Bakugo was only making things worse…!

A voice cut above the rest. “So this is Class 1-A. I heard you guys were impressive, but you just sound like an ass.”

Someone weaved through the crowd. It was a fairly tall boy with wild purple hair and what seemed to be permanent bags under his eyes. What he said next set the entity of Class 1-A off:

“Is everyone in the hero course delusional, or just you?” The members of 1-A shouted in protest, and Ruby heard Bakugo growl, almost like the angry dog she often compared him to.

Ruby, however, just stared. This boy who was bashing on 1-A looked… incredibly familiar. At least to her, anyway. But where she had seen him before… that’s what she was twisting around in her memory to find.

“How sad to come here and find a bunch of ego maniacs…” the boy continued, wringing his hand over the back of his neck. “I wanted to be in the hero course, but like many others here, I was forced to choose a different track. Such is life.

“I didn’t cut it the first time around, but I have another chance. If any of us do well in the sports festival, the teachers can decide to transfer us to the hero course. And they’ll have to transfer people out to make room. “ Ruby heard her friends gasp nervously. “Scouting the competition? Maybe some of my peers are, but I’m here to let you know that, if you don’t bring your very best, I’ll steal your spot right from under you. Consider this a declaration of war.”

Where did this guy even come from? It was almost like… Ruby’s eyes widened. That attitude… and that voice. She recognized him now.

_ “I’m fine,” said the boy before batting her hand away. He stood up on his own, brushing dust off of his clothes, “I don’t need your help.” And that was the last thing he said to her before running off to another side of the testing field and away from her. _

It was the same boy that Ruby encountered during the entrance exam. She ended up taking a point or two away from him by accident during the practical. Part of her had wondered whether or not he had gotten into U.A., but… did he not make it into the hero course? If so, why? Was it her fault? Did he not get enough points because of her? A moment of tension hung thick and heavy in the air as Bakugo and the boy just stared at each other, neither willing to move. Until... 

“Hey, you!” shouted yet another boy from the crowd — someone with messy, metallic gray hair. Now Ruby didn’t know him, or even recognize him for that matter. “I’m from Class 1-B next door to you! “ Okay, that explained why. “We heard you fought some villains, and I came to see if that was true. But you’re just a bunch of brats who think you’re better than us!” Ruby groaned.

_ Does everyone hate our class?! _

“Talk all ya want! It’ll just be more embarrassing when you’re KO’d,” the boy from 1-B continued. With a huff, Bakugo casually just walked out of the room. “Don’t you ignore me!”

“Dude, where are you going?!” Kirishima pushed through everyone, rushing to the doorway and getting Bakugo to stop in the process. “You gotta say something. It’s your fault they’re all hating on us, Bakugo.” Bakugo looked back at Kirishima.

“These people don’t matter,” he said matter-of-factly. Kirishima blinked, staring at him. “The only thing that’s important is that I beat them.” From behind her, Ruby could hear Midoriya gasp. Okay… that could not have been good. Kirishima growled, slightly frustrated with Bakugo’s answer.

“I hate that, that was such a manly exit!” Wait, what?

“You said it,” said Sato. 

“We have to beat them,” Tokoyami added, “he wasn’t wrong.” Ruby sighed. The crowd outside started to disperse… at least enough for 1-A to leave.

“Yeah, sure, but this sucks!” groaned Kaminari as Todoroki shuffled out of the room. “He made us everyone’s enemies.” Ruby sighed. As much as she hated it...

“Kaminari’s right. Everyone’s going to be after our heads,” she said. If what the entrance exam boy said meant anything, she had probably made herself his target since before school started. Ruby sighed again. “This isn’t how I wanted the year to go at all…” 

Things were only made worse for Ruby when she got grounded the minute she stepped in the front door. ...at least Uncle Qrow thought what happened was pretty cool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back in V1, I had Ruby run into two characters during her entrance exams. If you already didn't figure it out then, you know now. The first one was Shinsou because -- as you'll find out pretty quickly -- I love Shinsou. The other one will be revealed during later chapters.
> 
> I didn't get to fit this into the chapter because it didn't flow right, but you know how Midnight said that she and Aizawa got into a similar food fight with a few others when they were at U.A.? Those "others" she was talking about were Present Mic, Shirakumo and Tensei. I'd like to point out that when Tensei got home, he was immediately ratted out by a small Tenya, who had called for their mother the moment his brother walked in the door. And there was so much trouble that happened afterwards.  
> So, when Aizawa called their parents, it was Tensei who picked up. So when Tenya came home, covered in stains, he finds Tensei just sitting in the kitchen with a mug in his hand and a smirk on his face.  
> Tenya then remembered when he did to Tensei when they were younger.  
> "Please don't. Please don't do it."  
> Beat. Tensei takes a swig from the mug in hand. Another beat.  
> "...HEY, MA! TENYA'S HOME!"  
> Cut to Tenya Iida already running up the stairs like his life depends on it.
> 
> Bakugo probably got yelled at for what happened, but beyond that I have no clue about the others. Well... I do know what happened with Todoroki, but that gets revealed in a later chapter, so I won't say now. All you need to know is that he's fine.
> 
> Anyway...
> 
> Next time:
> 
> Chapter Three: Sports Festival Start
> 
> The first year stage of the U.A. Sports Festival has finally arrived!
> 
> Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!


	3. Sports Festival Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After training for two weeks, the kids of 1-A are ready for the U.A. Sports Festival. ...sorta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains Sports Festival training (i.e. Xiao Long-Rose combat training), Bakugo being Bakugo and declarations of war.
> 
> I... really can't think of anything else to say here other than who's ready for the sports festival?! As a heads up, it's going to be a pretty long arc, taking up about the first fourteen chapters of the fic with the actual event itself being about... twelve of those. Anyway, on with the chapter! Hope you enjoy!

The U.A. Sports Festival was only two weeks away. It was one of the biggest events of the year, and the entire thing would be broadcast live all over the country. There wasn’t a doubt in Ruby’s mind that whoever managed to impress the audience had a better chance of going pro. And if what she had been told by her family was true, it meant that any sort of thing could be thrown her way. She just had to prepare for everything. 

The first morning Ruby had been freed from her punishment, her older sister dragged her out into the backyard. While this Sports Festival would be Ruby’s first, it would also serve to be Yang Xiao Long’s final one. And she wants to go out with a bang.

And that’s how Ruby ended up flat on her back on the ground, having been knocked over by Yang once again. ...Ruby wasn’t sure if Yang getting the weekend off from work to prepare was a good thing or a bad thing anymore.

“Come on. You totally could've dodged that.” Ruby looked up. Yang stood over her, holding out a hand to her sister. Ruby quickly took it, allowing Yang to pull her back onto her feet.

“Yang, I told you. I’ve already faced villains!” Faced villains and _won_ , she wanted to add. “I think I can handle my classmates.”

“Two words: mock battles.”

Ruby groaned. “I hate that I told you about that.”

Earlier on in the year, Class 1-A had been put against each other in mock villain fights in order to test out their combat abilities. And Ruby… well, Ruby didn’t do much during those fights; she had just followed her teammate’s orders. She didn’t even engage against her opponents for one reason and one reason only.

“And that’s exactly why we’re out here,” said Yang, poking her sister’s chest. “You need to push past the fear you have of hurting your classmates.”

Ruby sighed, batting Yang’s hand away. “But I don’t want to hurt them.”

“And that’s a good thing, it lets you hold back enough that you don’t. But… you hesitate in fighting with someone you trust. If you make it to the last round of the festival, that’s exactly what you’ll have to do.” Ruby groaned again. “I’m not gonna be there to tell you what to do, and neither are the teachers. This is all on you, little one. And what better way to get over not wanting to fight your classmates than by punching your sister? Besides, I need to get ready for the festival, too.”

“I know,” said Ruby as she failed to notice Yang once again getting in a fighting stance. Before she had the chance to say anymore, Yang swung. Ruby barely had enough time to block it. Yang hit her wrist, and Ruby shifted in a defensive potion. She ducked another punch Yang threw at her. She stepped out of range of a third.

Yang spun on her heel, coming after her sister once again. Ruby stepped back, trying to avoid her. She ducked as Yang’s leg sailed over her head. Yang then jumped up, swinging her opposite leg over Ruby as she did so. Ruby dashed back another few feet. The two sisters slid easily back into their stances as the spar started in earnest. Yang wasted not a second as she punched Ruby again, forcing her little sister to block a few blows with her forearms. Ruby stepped to the side again to avoid a third.

Okay, it was time to switch to a more offensive strategy. Ruby balled up her fist before swinging it, turning to try and catch Yang from behind. However, she missed as Yang casually turned out of the way. Yang then ducked, sweeping her leg so that she knocked Ruby off of her feet.

Ruby landed on her back again with a grunt, leaving her at the mercy of another hit. She panicked and scrambled away into the forest that lined the family’s backyard in a burst of rose petals.

“Nice one! But you’re not always going to be able to run away like that. That's what we call out-of-bounds,” Ruby heard Yang say. “Get back over here so we can go again!”

Ruby bit back a groan. Yang wasn’t holding back, was she…? … It was just training, but if she wasn’t going to hold back... then Ruby wouldn’t hold back either. Quirk time.

“...Ruby?” she heard her sister call out. She could hear Yang making her way over to the bushes as she got back on her feet. Ruby smirked. The moment Yang got close enough, she rushed her, a helpful speed boost provided by her Quirk. “Ruby!”

Yang’s reflexes kicked in. Bits of flame streaming off of her hair, the busty blonde collided with her. Ruby swung her leg, her foot aiming for her sister’s side. Yang dodged, returning only to strike Ruby twice. Her third hit, however…

“Ow!” Ruby cried out as the flames licking her sister’s hair started to ebb away. She rubbed at her arm. “Yang!” This was just supposed to be training! A switch seemed to flip on in Yang’s brain, her fierce fighting expression softening with worry.

“Didn’t hurt you badly, did I?” she asked. Ruby used her Quirk to put a bit more force behind her next kick. This one struck Yang dead in the stomach. It sent her flying, with Yang flipping about mid-flight to land on her feet.

“Only a little!” Ruby dashed towards her sister again, taking her number one combat rule to heart and aiming for her face. Yang took the brunt of it, digging her heel into the ground and blocking Ruby’s hit with her arm. She delivered an uppercut, stunning Ruby long enough to twist around to get behind her. Ruby tried to face Yang, only for the latter to throw a punch.

Despite Ruby leaping back after that blow, Yang still decided to go through with her next attack. She rushed her sister, landing one blow to her cheek and another one narrowly missing her ear. Ruby dashed away, sliding around to get behind Yang. She didn’t waste another second in swinging her leg, connecting a bit too harshly with Yang’s side. Unfortunately for Ruby, Yang’s reactions were quicker than her own. Yang whipped around, grabbing Ruby’s leg and holding her still.

Ruby thrashed a little, trying to both shake Yang loose and get in a hit of her own. Yang only dodged, and then dodged again before kneeing Ruby in the stomach. Ruby finally managed to get herself free and dashed back with the help of her Quirk.

Yang rushed her again. Ruby finally had put enough distance between them to level the playing field. She spun on her heel, petals falling off of her in a flash as she used that momentum to land a strong kick to Yang’s stomach. The force of it was enough to send Yang flying backwards. Ruby’s eyes widened as Yang collided with a tree, falling into the bushes. 

“Yang!” Ruby rushed over to where she had just kicked her sister. “Oh my gosh, are you okay?!” Ruby then came to a screeching halt when she heard her sister chuckle.

“Perfect…” Ruby knew that tone. She whimpered. Uh-oh.

Fire licked her sister’s hair as Yang stood up. Her normal purple eyes had turned into a blazing red. She pushed off of the tree, fist drawn back as she rocketed towards Ruby to land one last blow. Ruby barely had enough time to throw up her arm to try and protect herself. The resulting clash blew Ruby back. She scrambled to flip over, landing on her feet and skidding across the ground. She ended up losing her balance, falling back. Ruby laid there, panting and out of breath.

Ruby was still for a few minutes before Yang walked over. Her hair was flameless, and her eyes had returned to normal. She held her hand out to her sister. “You okay?” she asked as Ruby let her pull her up. “Didn’t break your arm, did I?”

“No…” Ruby rubbed the spot on her arm when Yang had struck. “It hurt, though.”

“Yeah, well,” Yang chuckled again, “your kick was pretty strong.” Ruby’s eyes narrowed.

“So you did use your Quirk on me!” She had suspected as much when she saw the color change of her sister’s eyes, but still!

“Never said that I wouldn't. And besides, you were using your Quirk.” Yeah, but there was a difference between their Quirks. A _major_ difference. That being Yang’s really hurt... “And everyone will be using theirs, too. You have some pretty powerful classmates.” Ruby opened her mouth to fire off a retort, only to shut it again.

Yang… wasn’t wrong. At all.

“…Aw, man…” Ruby groaned, raking her fingers through her hair. Yang patted her on the shoulder.

“It's okay. I know you can beat them.”

“Thanks,” Ruby said, softly smiling at her. Yang grinned, her own smile showing as brightly as the sun. There was a moment of peace between the two.

“Wanna go another round?” Ruby’s stomach responded for her, emitting a loud growl. She chuckled.

“Can we get lunch instead?”

* * *

The next couple of days seemed to fly by in a flash. Before Ruby knew it, the kids of Class 1-A were being ushered to the massive sporting arena on the school’s campus. With each step she took, Ruby felt more and more nervous. This was her time to shine, to show the world that she was made of. The weight of that thought did not help calm her down at all as the Sports Festival's opening ceremony crept closer and closer.

Neither did the reporters that had flooded the school ground to cover the event. Ruby sat in the class’s waiting room as they all finished changing into their P.E. uniforms. Her hands were shaking like crazy, and nothing that she tried seemed to get them to stop. Ochako reached over, sitting opposite Ruby at the table with Tsu, and grabbed them.

“You okay?” she asked. “You look like you’re about to pass out.” Ruby quickly nodded.

“Yeah! Just really nervous!” she replied. Her nerves weren’t helped at all by the fact that she had to fight her classmates. The training with Yang helped somewhat, but it didn't change the fact that Ruby was scared to death of hurting them.

“Just think of it like we’re training! That’s what I’m doing.” Ruby nodded again.

“You’ll be just fine, Ruby,” Tsuyu told her.

“Thanks,” said Ruby, withdrawing her hands from Ochako’s. She took a slow, deep breath to try and calm herself. She’s got this. After all, they’ve fought villains before. She managed to survive a couple of rounds with Yang. And she was trained by some of the best Pros out there! How hard could this be? The waiting room’s door opened, and Iida entered.

“Everyone, get your game faces on! We’re entering the arena soon!” announced the class rep. Those words made the tension in Ruby’s body return. She drew in another, slow breath to try and calm herself down again. It was game face time! No time to show fear! It was time to show them what Ruby got! She couldn’t be a wimp!

“Midoriya.” Ruby lifted her head, catching sight of Todoroki walking up to a slightly confused Midoriya.

“Hey, Todoroki,” said Midoriya. “What’s up?” Attention fell onto them. Didn’t exactly help that the pair were standing in the middle of the room.

“From an objective standpoint, I think it’s fairly clear that I’m stronger than you,” Todoroki said bluntly. Ruby’s eyes widened. Um… what?

“Uh—” Midoriya sighed. “Um, yeah.”

“However, you’ve got All Might in your corner, helping you out.” Midoriya went rigid. “I’m not here to pry about what’s going on between you two. But know that I will beat you.” Ruby heard Midoriya gasp as his eyes went wide. Todoroki was stone serious. She held back a groan.

“First the entrance exam guy, and now Todoroki?” she said, keeping her voice low. How many war declarations were there going to be?!

“Entrance exam?” repeated Tsu. Ruby sighed. 

“I’ll explain later…” Kirishima got up from another table, walking over to Midoriya and Todoroki.

“Hey, what’s the big deal?” he said, putting his hand on Todoroki’s shoulder. “Why are you pickin’ a fight all of a sudden? And right before we get started…”

Todoroki jabbed at Kirishima’s arm with his elbow, knocking him off. “We’re not here to be each other’s friends.” he said somewhat harshly. Todoroki turned and stalked towards the door. “Don’t forget. This isn’t a team effort.”

Ruby couldn’t help but stare at Todoroki. What was he doing? He was on good terms with everyone after USJ. He wasn’t as cold as he used to be. He even seemed like he was having fun during the food fight, up until the very end at least. Ruby could remember him laughing along with everyone else when it was over. What happened between then and now to suddenly change his attitude back like this?

“Wait a sec, Todoroki,” Todoroki stopped as Midoriya called out to him. “I don’t know what’s going through your head, or why you think you’d need to tell me that you’ll beat me. And yeah, of course you’re better than me. In fact, you probably have way more potential than anyone in the hero course. That’s why you got in so easily.” Right… Todoroki was one of the students who got in on recommendations… He didn’t have to take the same exam the rest of them did.

“Midoriya,” Kirishima groaned, “maybe you’re being a little hard on yourself, and us”.

“No, he’s right, you guys. All the other courses— they’re coming for us with everything they’ve got. We’re all gonna have to fight to stand out.” Ruby groaned as Todoroki turned back to face Midoriya. While that speech may have been meant to hype up the class, it just made the knots in her stomach wrose. “And I’ll be aiming for the top, too.”

“Fine,” said Todoroki curtly.

Ruby's forehead collided with the palm of her hand as she groaned again. “Can we _not_ turn on each other?”

Kirishima sighed. “I think it’s already too late for that.”

It was only then that Iida called the class again. It was time. They filed out of the waiting room. Ready or not, they had to face the challenges the day ahead had laid out for them. Ruby only hoped that she could beat them.

* * *

The class made their way to the arena’s field in a strange silence. The rumble of the crowd outside was like white noise as they approached the entrance. Ruby drew in a sharp breath. Okay. Game time. No turning back now, she supposed. ...like there ever really as a choice.

“ _Hey! Make some noise, all you rabid sports fans! Get those cameras prepped, media hordes! This year, we’re bringing you some of the hottest performances in sports festival history, guaranteed!_ ” Ruby heard Present Mic echo over the speakers set up around the arena. “ _I’ve only got one question before we start this show: Are you ready? Let me hear ya scream as our students make their way to the main stage!_ ”

And with that, the U.A. the first years began to file out of the stadium. The audicence’s cheering grew louder.

“ _This first group are no strangers to the spotlight! You know them for withstanding a villain attack— the dazzling students lighting up your TVs with solid-gold skills. The hero course students of Class 1-A!_ ” Being the top on the list, 1-A took to the field first. Ruby felt all the eyes of the crowd fixate her. Oh gosh, there were so many people…!

“Uh… I didn’t know there’d be so many people,” said Midoriya, voice wavering slightly.

“I hope we’re still able to give our best performances, even though all these eyes are watching us,” added Iida. “I suppose it’s just another aspect of being a hero we all have to learn to get used to.”

“Yeah, but… just wow,” Ruby said, fidgeting with the lining of her pocket. “Never thought we’d get this much of a reaction when we haven’t even done anything yet… It’s weird. “ She looked up into the stands. It didn’t help that her entire family and friends were watching her. ANd it was hard to make out anyone's faces from here…

“Present Mic sure did talk us up a lot. Kinda makes me nervous,” mused Kirishima before he turned to Bakugo. “How you feelin’, man?”

“I’m not worried,” Bakugo replied with an ever-confident smirk. “Makes me wanna win this thing even more.” Ruby sighed.

 _Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing knowing you._ And with that, the rest of the students filled out to join the kids of Class 1-A: their fellow hero course students in 1-B, the general course students of C, D and E, the support courses' F, G and H and finally, the business classes of I, J and K. ...U.A.’s first year class was a lot bigger than Ruby originally thought. All of them gathered around the small stage where the umpire for their events was waiting for them.

As it turned out, the umpire for the first years’ stage was none other than the R-Rated Hero: Midnight. And from Ruby’s perspective, it looked like she was more than happy to do so this year. But um… Ruby heard a few complaints about it from her classmates. Mostly because Ms. Midnight was wearing her hero costume… which was mostly an ultra-thin bodysuit that could be easily torn at a moment’s notice in order for her to use her quirk. ...and left nothing up to the imagination.

“Silence, everyone!” shouted Midnight, cutting both the air with her whip and the students’ commentary chatter short, as well as making Ruby jump. “And for the student pledge, we have Katsuki Bakugo!” Bakugo pushed past Ruby as he made his way up to the stage.

“Uh…" stammered Midoriya, obviously nervous about this, “he’s the first-year rep?”

“He did get the highest score on the entrance exams…” Ruby mused, recalling that little fact from the first day of school.

A general studies girl that was standing nearby huffed in annoyance. “Only for the hero course exams.”

“Oh, right,” Midoriya uttered.

“That girl obviously hates us,” said Sero under his breath.

“Yeah, and we’ve got Bakugo to thank for them not liking our class,” added Kaminari, not bothering to hide his irritation as Bakugo took to the stage. Ruby found it odd that he looked so calm as he approached the microphone that was set up there. A hush fell across everyone in the stadium.

 _This isn’t going to go over well._ Bakugo had the temperament of Yang. The only difference is that Yang didn’t get angry as easily as he did. Even with how passive he appeared to be now… Ruby knew from personal experience that such an expression could easily mask an explosion waiting to happen… at least with Bakugo it could.

“I just wanna say…” Bakugo briefly paused before saying: “I’m gonna win.” Ruby groaned, dropping her face into her hands.

 _I knew he’d say something like that!_ The other classes didn’t react any better.

“What did he say?!” shouted one student.

“Class 1-A is so full of themselves!” added another.

“Get him off the stage!”

“Why would you be so disrespectful?!” exclaimed Iida, trying to reprimand the explosive boy for his own declaration. And that made three, two of which were from Ruby’s own class. “You’re representing us all!”

“Not my fault the rest of you are just stepping stones to my victory,” Bakugo told him.

“I’m gonna crush this overconfident jerk!” Ruby heard a member of 1-B growl not too far away from her. “I can’t wait to knock ‘im down a size!” She groaned, putting on a sour face.

 _Darn it, Bakugo!_ If Class 1-A weren't targets before, then they definitely were now. Bakugo got off the stage and the festival was set to begin. And as Ochako told her as the festival kicked off, U.A. did not give its students a break.

“This is where you begin feeling the pain! The first fateful game of the festival!” A hologram was projected behind Midnight as she continued. A roulette wheel came up, and as it spun, Ruby could feel the knots in her stomach start to form. She kept her fingers crossed that it would be something that she could do… The roulette soon came to a stop, displaying the first event for all to see.

“So it’s gonna be an obstacle course,” said Midoriya, reading the screen aloud. Ruby hummed. It sounded easy enough. She used to do those when she was a kid in the backyard and in the living room. Though she and Yang would get in trouble for the latter. Midnight went on to explain the rules of the event.

“All eleven classes will participate in this treacherous contest,” she told the students as the screen projected the course’s path. “The track is four kilometers around the outside of the stadium. I don’t wanna restrain anyone, at least in this game.” Midnight, her whip tight in hand, smirked. “As long as you don’t leave the course, you’re free to do whatever your heart desires!”

The crowd cheered as Midnight directed the students to the arena’s exit. They braced themselves against the starting line. Ruby just had to stay on the course, right? She could use her Quirk however she wanted here. She balled up her fists.

 _Alright, Ruby! You gotta be smart! This is where you’re gonna shine!_ She smirked as the countdown began, digging her toe into the ground beneath her. _I can use my Quirk to zoom into first place easy peasy!_

The countdown began.

Three... Two… One.

Zero.

“BEGIN!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should note that I have the chapters ordered in a way that allows focus to fall on one event per chapter. So the obstacle course will be one chapter, the cavalry battle will be one chapter, etc. The only exception are the tournament fights, where some have been grouped together in order to fill out word counts. Cool? Cool.
> 
> Next time!  
> Chapter Four: Run Rose, Run.  
> Ruby goes nyoom~!
> 
> Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!


	4. Run, Rose, Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An obstacle course is the perfect way for Ruby to show of her Quirk! ...if only both the obstacles and her competitive classmates didn't prevent that from happening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains the U.A. obstacle course, Bakugo's language (though not as bad as it could be), characters trying their best and some angst at the end in order to set up future events and team-ups.
> 
> We're finally underway with the Sports Festival! Whose ready for round one?!

The second the signal went off, all the first year students rushed towards the doorway. What happened next reminded Ruby of the media scare that occurred earlier in the year. It was a false alarm, but every student panicked when given the order to evacuate. As a result… well, they ended up packed tightly together like sardines in a can. ...just like they were now.

 _Aw, man! Come on!_ Ruby wormed her way around as the rest of her class got possibly packed even tighter in the tunnel that led out to the track.

“You’re trampling me!”

“This is too narrow!” An elbow narrowly missed her face. She had to think about this.

 _How am I supposed to get out of this one…?!_ Ruby grit her teeth as she pushed her way through. She could easily get out of here in an instant with her Quirk. But she needed some sort of uncrowded surface so she could use it. And the closest thing to that here was the… An idea came to mind. Ruby worked her way close to the tunnel’s wall. If she can run fast enough then maybe, just maybe… She had seen other speed heroes do it before. It shouldn’t be _that_ hard.

“Here goes nothing…” Ruby muttered to herself. She let out a yelp as she got roughly shoved against the wall, stumbling a bit before getting a good grip. She quickly apologized, using the students nearby to quickly push herself up. She struggled to keep her balance, but the second her feet touched the wall, Ruby activated her Quirk.

She rushed towards the exit, leaving a trail of rose petals behind on top of the other competitors. Just as she made it towards the end of the tunnel, however… a familiar cold breeze rang through the air, and most of the students stopped trying to escape. A certain dual-colored someone escaped from the crowd.

“Apologies!” Ruby heard Todoroki shout as he ran out of the tunnel. And then, as she started to exit the tunnel, she realized why.

“Ice!” she cried out. “Todoroki!” Ruby stumbled as she came out of the tunnel, landing on the ice with a sharp crack. She wasn’t the only member of class 1-A who escaped Todoroki’s icy attack. Yuga Aoyama used the laser from his navel, Yaoyorozu created a pole out the palm of her hand to push her off the ice and Kirishima… did something to break out, whatever it was, Ruby didn’t know. Bakugo blasted up, eyes narrowed and somewhat pissed.

“I won’t let you get away so easily!” he growled. “You icy-hot _BASTARD_!” From behind him, even more members of 1-A made it out. Ojiro used his tail to push himself off of the ground before Todoroki’s ice could freeze him. Tokoyami used Dark Shadow to throw himself up, and Mina melted the ice with her acid. Everyone else, however, was struggling.

Ruby was one of them. She found herself having some trouble standing on the ice. As those around her probably thought, she could just use her Quirk to zip into first place, with the ice acting as a speed boost. But Ruby knew what would happen if she did. With her speed, Ruby would go flying across the ice, succeeding in only losing her balance and possibly falling without a grip on the ground. It happened multiple times when she was a kid, but now Ruby knew better than to try it.

Just as Ruby stumbled off the ice path and back onto solid ground, the next obstacle came out to confront the first years. Her eyes widened. The kids were surrounded by the same robots that the hero course students had to face in their practical exam a few months ago.

“ _Oh! Enemies have shown up out of nowhere! I bet we’re in for a treat here!_ ” called Present Mic over the speakers. “ _A test of strength and cunning! It’s a Robo Inferno!_ ” Ruby felt a pit drop into her stomach as she finally caught sight of a very familiar looking enemy coming up on them, towering high above the others.

“Are those the zero-point villains from the practical test?!” Kaminari screeched. Upon getting a look at them, Ruby had only one thing to say.

“Are you kidding me?!” she shouted. _This_ was the teacher’s idea of an obstacle?!

“Where is the school even getting the funding for these things?” she heard Yaoyorozu mutter behind her. While a majority of the U.A. first years stood back, (most of them afraid, as only the hero course students had to face these things), one was brave enough and far up ahead enough to do something.

With frost creeping up his arm, Todoroki pressed a hand to the ground. It froze in a flash, and following a sweeping motion of his arm, ice rocketed towards the robots to freeze them solid. Todoroki let out a sigh before running onwards. He had stopped the robots, leaving an opening between their legs.

“Careful, now. I froze them while they were off their balance!” Todoroki called back before any of the other students could move forward. The ice started to shatter and the robots’s empty shells began to fall. “On purpose!” He did what?!

“ _That’s Todoroki from Class 1-A pulling ahead to an early lead with a devastating display! Amazing!_ ” exclaimed Present Mic, his voice and the system projecting it loud enough that even now Ruby could hear him. “ _He’s one we should watch. It almost seems unfair! Thoughts?!_ ”

“ _His attack was both offensive and defensive,_ ” Ruby heard Mr. Aizawa reply. Wait, what was he…? Right… their homeroom teacher was serving as co-commentator. He hadn’t seemed too pleased about it that morning...

“ _No wonder he was let in on recommendations! He’d never even fought those Robo Infernos before, but they didn’t stand a chance against his chart-topping moves!_ ” The dust from the zero-pointers settled, and much more manageable bots surged forward. They were smaller, and Ruby could distinctly remember how easily she had smashed them up during her practical exam.

 _Come on, Ruby! You can do this! You can’t get knocked out in the first round…!_ She can’t let the training she did with Yang go to waste.

“ _The first-year students are already off to one rockin’ start! And, it’s only the first round! Talk about a cruel obstacle course!_ ” commented Present Mic as Ruby tried to come up with some sort of plan. Could she do the same thing she did in the entrance exam…? “ _Our players are racing against each other in a vicious battle where anything goes so long as they stay on the track! We’ll continue to bring you live updates and pulse-pounding action thanks to the camera robots placed around the course_!” Wait, we?

“ _Why do you need me here?_ ” Ruby heard Aizawa groan. How Present Mic managed to get him to do that was a mystery that she would have to solve later. ...speaking of which… Ruby looked around.

Where was Kirishima? She had seen him just a minute ago...

She heard someone gasp from behind before a loud bang over took it. Part of the zero-pointer was still moving, with the banging coming from inside. Someone then broke through the bot with a loud war-like cry. It was Kirishima, who hardened his skin to protect himself when the zero-pointer dropped.

“I’m alive!” he shouted, eyes blazing with determination and adrenaline. Ruby let out a heavy sigh. Oh thank gods, he activated his Quirk in time...

“ _Kirishima from Class 1-A! What a hardcore debut for this rookie!_ ” The banging started again. Apparently, Kirishima hadn’t been the only one in the mech’s path. 

“Class 1-A really is full a’ jerks!” The boy who broke thought as the metallic-haired boy from 1-B who tried to pick a fight with 1-A a ew weeks ago. Now the hair color made more sense. His body had turned into steel, coating everything in a metallic sheen and conveniently protecting him from being crushed. “ I’ll smash that ice guy when I get my hands on him!”

“ _Tetsutetsu from Class 1-B was also stuck underneath! What are the odds?!_ ” Ruby let out a sigh as relief washed over her. Okay… they were okay… And there were still the giant robots to deal with.

“Man, how lucky are they?” Kaminari griped as Ruby tried to think of a plan. Maybe she could just dart underneath them at top speed…? No, that’d wear her out too easily… “They don’t have to worry about being crushed!”

“We’re racing each other, but we can team up for now,” suggested another student, scales crawling up his arm. “Let’s carve a path.” That was one thing everyone could agree on. Well… almost everyone. Before another word could even be said, Bakugo let loose a series of explosions, propelling himself up the robotic obstacle.

“ _Class 1-A’s Bakugo is rocketing over the obstacles! Clever!_ ” He wasn't the only one who had come up with a plan.

Sero launched streams of tape from his elbows, using it to stick to the mechs and reeling it in. He flew upwards, high above the rest Tokoyami took full advantage of his own Quirk as well, using Dark Shadow to climb up the mech like it was a mountain. Them, along with Bakugo cleared the boy with ease before continuing on. And that was just what the other members of 1-A needed to spur themselves on as well, Ruby included.

 _Alright… Come on, Ruby!_ She smacked her cheeks. _Stop thinking, just go!_ It wasn’t only her who thought this.

The members of Class 1-A rocketed ahead of the rest of the competitors. Ruby managed to get around these things once before. Which means that she can do it again. Using her speed, she worked around the bots, twisting and turning with each step. It made them lose their balance in an effort to match her movements and get their claws on her. They crashed to the ground, while a couple of others fell victim to a heavy kick from Ruby’s heel.

All around her, her classmates are doing the same. Iida was using his engines to outpace the bots, kicking them much like Ruby was doing herself. Jirou was sticking her earphone jacks into them to fry their circuits with soundwaves. Kaminari, as expected, was doing the same as Jirou, overloading the robot’s machinery with bursts of electrical power. Kirishima smashed through them with ease, and Uraraka used her Quirk to make them levitate before releasing. They came crashing back down. Ojiro smashed one with his tail.

“ _Class 1-A’s learned not to hesitate. They’ve seen what the real world is like,_ ” said Mr. Aizawa, Ruby only catching his voice on the edge of her senses. “ _They’ve felt the fear of facing villains. Yet they fight on, trying to overcome that fear. They’ve grown. All of them. And they know that they have to act quickly if they want to stay alive._ ”

Ruby just kept running, applying the same tactic she used during the entrance exam. She practically danced around the obstacles, using her Quirk where she could to avoid attacks. That was… until she came across those zero-point bots again at the end of the line. She had to avoid these things in the practicals… could she do it again? Maybe run as fast as possible between their legs, but that would cost her stamina…

A loud boom startled her out of her thoughts. From behind, Yaoyorozu had created a cannon which she used to shoot down the larger bots. Not only did she make a path for herself, but for the rest of the students as well.

“A piece of cake,” said Yaoyorozu, satisfied with her own quick thinking. Now that the path was clear, the students were free to continue on. Ruby grinned.

“Thanks, Momo!” she said quickly. No wonder Yaoyorozu got in on recommendations. Ruby kicked her Quirk into gear, racing towards the next obstacle with a trail of rose petals behind her. However… 

“ _For those of you who thought the first obstacle was easy… let’s see how ya feel about the second one!_ ” Okay, that didn’t sound too good. Ruby came to a screeching halt when she caught sight of what exactly Present Mic had been talking about. Several tightropes connected stone pillars together. In-between them were deep chasms, at least forty feet deep. “ _If they take a spill, they’re out! If they wanna pass this test, they’ll have to get creative! It’s ‘The Fall’!_ ”

As Ashido, Ochako and the others joined Ruby at the edge, she wondered if there was something at the bottom to catch the students if they fell… not even U.A. had to be that reckless, right?

“When did they even have time to build something like this?” questioned Ochako.

“ _Why_ did they even build something like this?” said Ruby. There had to be nets or something at the bottom in case someone slipped. U.A. wouldn’t put their students in danger just for entertainment, would they? Ruby’s question went unanswered as Tsuyu caught up, taking a crouching position by the cliffs’ edge.

“What are you doing?” Mina asked her, getting nothing more than a short “ribbit” as an answer before Tsuyu then leapt off the cliff. She landed on one of the tightropes, beginning to crawl across it with ease thanks to her Quirk. The three girls still on the cliff’s edge stared at her as other students began to catch up. ”She’s fast!”

“You could say that again—” Ruby was cut off by a chuckle from behind.

“Yes. Finally…” All three girls turned around. Standing behind them was a girl with bubblegum pink dreadlocks. That’s not what caught Ruby’s attention, though. It was a variety of different equipment all over the girl's body. “This is my chance to show off what I can do. My support items are gonna steal the spotlight from these wannabe heroes. Everyone! Observe what my brilliant gadgets can do! Wire arrows and hover soles!”

“Cool…!” Ruby muttered to herself, eyes sparkling at the gear the girl had.

“You’re from Support!” Ochako said with a gasp. Ashido, on the other hand, wasn’t so elated at seeng the support course student or the equipment that she had with her.

“Hey!” said the pink girl, a bit sour, “How come you got to bring all that stuff?”

“Students in the hero course get all kinds of combat training for their Quirks. In order to keep things fair and give us a fighting chance, we’re allowed to bring whatever gadgets and costumes we want into the games, so long as we developed them ourselves,” the support course girl explained with a maniacal grin. “So, sit back and enjoy the show!”

Ruby got curious about what that meant, and the universe decided to give her an answer almost immediately. One of the wire arrows attached to the girl’s side fired out and stuck into the rock. Her boots then activated as well, letting her hver off the ground and go flying across the pit with a laugh.

Ruby’s eyes were wide as the girl landed safely on the other side. “Wow!”

“Talk about annoying…” muttered Mina. Wait, Ruby didn’t get it. How was it annoying?

“I won’t lose!” said Ochako suddenly, her expression fierce as she rushed forward. 

“Ugh, this is so unfair!” The rest of the students started to move forward as well. Ruby, however, just bit her lip. If she were to run across, her movement would shake the ropes. There had to be a safe for her to make it to the other side...

“ _In the world of heroes, it can be hard to get popular without a flashy Quirk,_ ” commented Present Mic, making Ruby unintentionally feel worse about this situation she was stuck in. “ _Right, Eraserhead?_ ”

“ _I don’t know what you’re talking about, idiot,_ ” Mr. Aizawa replied, sounding obviously ticked off. 

“ _Looks like Todoroki is still skating by easily!_ ” Todoroki was keeping up his lead by freezing the rope below him, gliding across the ice like a figure skater. 

Ruby sighed. She couldn’t exactly do that, but… She held out her arms to keep her balance and walked across the ropes as quickly as she could. Several yelps escaped her mouth as she struggled to stay on. This was a new thing for her, and her balance wasn't exactly the best. She wobbled several times, stopping and harshly biting her lip until she regained it. Only then would she move.

Out of the corners of her eyes, Ruby could see her classmates advancing on. Bakugo was using his explosions to fly across the pit without ever having to even touch the ropes. Iida had his calves pressed together, using only one engine to propel himself across speedily across the pit. Ruby spotted him reaching the end as she reached the halfway point.

“ _The leader’s putting distance between him and the students stuck at the Fall! It hasn’t been announced what competitors will make it through to the next round, so there’s no time to relax!_ ” Great… Ruby was going to fall behind at this rate. She had to get across as fast as possible, screw being careful now. In a moment of quick decision, she took Tsuyu’s approach to the Fall. Ruby dropped down, crawling across the ropes the rest of the way. The second she was back on solid ground, she activated her Quirk again in order to catch up with everyone else.

Ruby was on the edge of pushing herself by the time she caught up again. Her heart leapt into her throat when she saw the signs warning of the danger ahead. She came to a screeching halt on the edge of the third and final obstacle.

“ _Everyone had better tread carefully. You’re stepping onto a minefield!_ ” said Present Mic, to which Ruby only thought ‘you had got to be kidding me’. Knowing her teacher, he wasn't. “ _If you look carefully, you can see where those little bombs are buried, so keep your eyes on the ground, folks. By the way, those landmines were designed for the games, so they might be loud and flashy, but they’re not all that powerful. Just enough to make you wet your pants!_ ”

“ _Get a hold of yourself,_ ” Mr. Aizawa said with a sigh. Ruby sighed herself. Well, at least the staff had taken the students’ safety into account when making this thing…

But still. Ruby was faced with another problem. She couldn’t speed across these things without setting them off. But… at least it gave her a chance to catch up. If she had to go slow, then so do the others. There was a yell and a boom not too far from where she stood.

“ _BASTARD_!” Bakugo went flying across the minefield, aiming for Todoroki as his explosions kept himself well above the mines. “YOUR DECLARATION OF WAR WAS TO THE WRONG PERSON!”

Ruby sighed. Okay, maybe not everyone had to go slow… She started to make her way across the treacherous field biting her lip and hoping she didn’t make a wrong move.

“ _Just like that, a new student takes the lead!_ ” she heard Present Mic say. Bakugo must’ve passed Todoroki then. “ _The media here is going crazy! There’s nothing they love more than an upset!_ ” Several more booms caught Ruby’s attetnion. She looked up from the path just in time to see Iida just booking it across the field without much precaution, setting off explosives as he went and trying to dodge them the best he could.

So, Iida was playing _that_ game. Ruby grit her teeth. She could use her Quirk like he was… but the side effect of it would put her at a huge disadvantage. Whenever Ruby used her Quirk, rose petals would form on her skin. They fell off as fast as they were made, and in this case, Ruby wasn’t quite sure if they would set off the mines or not. And she wasn’t willing to take that chance. She quickly stepped around the mines, moving as fast as her body would naturally allow her without the use of her Quirk.

“ _Hey, hey! The rest of the competitors are catching up, too! And what’s this? Can our two leaders fight each other and stay in front of the competition?_ ”

Ruby wanted to shout. She couldn’t lag behind. If she wanted to stand out, she had to make it to the next round at least! But her Quirk… if there was some way to move across the field without having to touch it…

Her mind flashed back to the food fight. Maybe there was a way for her to do that. If Ruby could somehow pull off that move again… It was worth a shot.

Ruby thought hard about what exactly had happened that day. With her plan secure in the mind, she kicked her speed as fast as it could go right then and there and forced herself to stumble. She tripped and flipped her body to make herself spin.

All Ruby succeeded in doing was falling. She let out a yelp as she landed harshly on the ground. Another came out as the bombs beneath her went off, sending her flying across the field. Lucky for her, where she landed either had no mines or already had them set off. Ruby groaned as she got back to her feet.

Okay, that was a very bad idea. Ruby looked backed behind her. Well… maybe not entirely. At least it disoriented a couple of the others. Ruby picked up her pace as she got going again, doing her best to avoid the bombs this time around. She had to be careful, but also be quick in order to make up for lost time.

“ _Todoroki and Bakugo are neck and neck for the lead and knocking on the finish line!_ ” Present Mic exclaimed. Well, Ruby definitely wasn't going to place first or second. Maybe not in the top ten with how much stamina she just used to go that fast… but still, she could get in the top twenty if she got going now.

Ruby’s thoughts were cut short by the giant explosion that erupted behind her, making her loudly cry out in surprise.

“ _What's with that huge explosion in the back?! That was way more power than it should be!_ ”

The dust began to clear. She then saw what had probably caused it. Ruby caught sight of none other than Izuku Midoriya flying over the minefield, clinging to a piece of debris from the robot obstacle. That explosion must’ve been his doing. It had to be a lucky move, because he was soaring above the rest of the competitors without much of a problem.

“ _Incredible! What just happened?! Whatever the case, Class 1-A’s Izuku Midoriya is sudden in hot pursuit of first place! Strike that! The lead is his!_ ” Ruby’s eyes widened. Midoriya had passed Todoroki and Bakugo. At this rate…!

Ruby moved as fast as she could to catch up. She had to make it to the next round. She wasn’t about to let herself be knocked out of the running this early in the game!

“ _Look at that plot twist! Those two aren’t fighting anymore! They’re chasing Midoriya! That’s what having a common enemy will do in this competition! This fight is still far from over, though!_ ” Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby spotted a long, trailing path of ice. That had to be created by Todoroki. He was really trying to hold onto that lead, huh? She bit down on her lip. The ice path wouldn’t trigger the bombs, even if she stepped on one. But it also just might… Crap, should she…?

Up ahead, Ruby saw Midoriya stepping on Todoroki and Bakugo’s shoulders. He stood on top of them, using them to brace himself as he slammed his shield into the ground, directly on top of what looked like to be a thick area of mines. The reaction was almost instant. The mines exploded, stunning both Bakugo and Todoroki while launching Midoriya forward once again. He had just blown himself into first place.

 _“In a stunning move, Midoriya has blasted past his classmates from 1-A! I don’t believe it! He cleared that minefield in an instant!_ ” shouted Present Mic. Ruby sighed, resigning herself to her fate. She really didn’t have a choice here any more. She pulled the Iida method of getting through the minefield, running as fast as she can to try and avoid Todoroki’s ice path as she ran alongside it. “ _Eraserhead, your students are amazing! What the heck are you teaching them?!_ ”

“ _This has nothing to do with me,_ ” replied Mr. Aizawa. Ruby stared to push herself a little more, trying to get beyond her current stamina limit. But she had used so much of it already… There had to be enough left. There just had to be! “ _Each of them is powered by their own drive to succeed._ ”

“ _There ya have it, Eraserhead is a terrible teacher!_ ”

“ _I’m_ what _?!_ ”

“ _Who would have imagined at the beginning of this race that the climax would be a non-stop mega-mix of surprises?! The first to make it back to the stadium is the first place winner… Izuku Midoriya is our champion!_ ” Ruby could hear the audience cheering as she approached the stadium’s tunnel.

Okay, Midoriya won, that meant Todoroki and Bakugo probably have second and third places. Ruby wasn’t going to be the last! She pushed herself to go farther, using up the rest of her stamina to zip ahead of the students. It looked like she was going to get a decent place—!

Ruby misplaced one of her steps… and stepped directly on Todoroki’s ice path at her current full speed.

She cut off her Quirk quickly as she let out a scream, doing her best to try and regain traction and footing. But at this point, it was too late. The girl went stumbling and sliding across the ice like some kind of baby deer. 

Other students were starting to catch up as Ruby went sliding towards the finish. They passed her until the path abruptly stopped. Ruby tripped once again, colliding with the unfortunate party that was in front of her and sending them both tumbling to the ground. Ruby scrambles to get back up. She made a mad dash towards the finish line, finally crossing as whoever she crashed into came in the next place behind her.

“ _The contestants are pouring in one after the other! Let’s hear some applause for all our competitors as we prepare the results._ ” Ruby dropped to her knees as she tried to catch her breath. That… That could’ve gone better. Someone held out their hand to her.

“That wasn't a very pretty entrance, was it, _cherie_?” Ruby sighed, taking Aoyama’s hand. As he gently pulled her back up, it dawned on her exactly why she had said that. Oh… Her face turned red. He had been her unfortunate stopper.

“Aoyama, I’m so sorry, I couldn’t stop myself!” she said quickly. “Are you okay?!” Much to her relief, he nodded, although he was clutching his stomach.

“I’m just fine, thank you…” he told her. Ruby nodded, making a mental note to be a bit more careful when running as they joined back up with the rest of their class. She spotted Midoriya, Ochako and Iida pretty quickly. The latter seemed lost in his own word, muttering something to himself. She grinned and jogged up to them.

“Hey, Midoriya! “ she called out, nabbing their attention as she got closer. “Congrats on first place.”

Midoriya went red-faced… well, redder than he already was. “Uh, thanks!”

“Hey, Ruby?” Ochako asked, getting a hum from her. “Why’re you all wet?” She was… what? Ruby looked down at her clothes, only to frown. Ochako was right. While her clothes weren’t wet exactly, they were damp and those spots were noticeable. The ice must’ve started melting already by the time Ruby touched it.

“I slipped on Todoroki’s ice while going full speed,” Ruby explained with a sigh, “and when I tried to stop I… didn’t.” Ochako winced out of sympathy.

“Are you alright?” Midoriya asked.

“I’m fine but… “ Ruby sighed again. There were so many people in front of her… did she even place? Did she make it to the next round? So much went wrong… did she do it? Whatever happened next, Ruby was going to make sure that she wasn’t going to let it get her down… even if it meant she was already cut out of the running. She looked up at the scoreboard. 

She just had to make it to the next round…

* * *

The room was just about dim. The only light came from the small lamp on her desk, the sunlight streaming in through closed curtains and the laptop opened in front of her. The broadcast of the U.A. Sports Festival was playing on the its screen. Something about it twisted her stomach. She never usually watched it but after what had happened recently… she felt the need to see what exactly was so special about those 1-A kids.

Class 1-A…. those brats.. those kids just had to be there…! That girl just had to be there! She just…!

She heard footsteps behind her. She turned, grinning when her brown-and-pink eyes saw her partner-in-crime standing there. She hadn’t even heard him enter the room. Her body relaxed a little, her anger starting to ebb away.

“Hey, Neo,” she heard him say with his usual smirk. “What’re you watching?” She pulled back to reveal the screen to her partner. He stared at it. “Never expected you to be into this kind of stuff.”

Neo could only shrug. To her, it was a safer form of reconnaissance. She could easily find out those kids’ weaknesses and strengths without having to actually leave the comfort and security of her little home base.

“That brat… Make a fool out of me twice… We’ll get her next time, won’t we?” He went to place his hand on her shoulder.

The illusion broke the second it touched her, breaking like glass. Something in Neo’s chest tightly twisted itself around her heart. It wasn’t the same as the real thing. She could only see him. His voice had to echo in her head instead of reaching her ears. The real Roman Torchwick was in prison, most likely silent as a stone as the police tried to get information out of him about the League of Villains.

If only she had gone with him to attack those students. If only she hadn’t listened to him when he told her to stay behind. They were partners after all. She knew that he had wanted to keep her safe, but… why did he have to go alone?! If she was there with him, then maybe they would’ve been able to safely get away! Or even beat those kids together! He wouldn’t have…

He wouldn't have lost and left her all alone. The illusion wasn’t the same as the real thing, no matter how much Neo tried to pretend that it was. She snatched up the bottle that was sitting on her desk, taking a long drink from it. It burned, but in a good way. It kept her grounded. It numbed the pain.

She had to think of something. Some sort of operation to break Roman out of prison… No, she had to find out where he was being held in the first place, and with the mass amounts of villains that had been arrested that day, there was no doubt to her that they are now scattered across various holding facilities. Roman, being a highly-ranked villain would be somewhere with high security. But he was also Quirkless. There was no need to restrain him the same way most villains were. That left a handful of prisons for Neo to check.

She would also need help. Her own Quirk could only get her so far. She'd need some sort of muscle to help out. At least when it came to the guards that were probably watching Roman right now… He had been a highly wanted criminal before his arrest, and now that he had associated himself with them, the police most likely had increased the original amount of security… interrogating him, despite the fact that he would never crack…

Neo shook her head. No, don't think about that, she told herself. She had to focus. A majority of Roman’s forces had been arrested during the USJ attack. There was barely any left. It didn’t help that they didn’t think to listen to Neo. To them, she was just a quiet girl that Roman let tag along. They hadn’t treated her with a lick of respect, mostly leaving her alone

If only they knew how capable and volatile Neo actually was.

The results of the obstacle course were announced behind her. When she saw that girl’s name displayed there… her happy, smiling and relieved face… Neo threw the bottle at the screen. It missed, hitting the wall where it shattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. All that just happened. I didn't want to mess with the score values for the cavalry battle too much, which is why I have Ruby so far behind during the obstacle course. There's another reason, but I feel like revealing that would spoil some stuff inadvertently. Rest assured that I'm not knocking her out of the park just yet, and there is a hint involving her placement in the chapter. Blink and you might've missed it.
> 
> I should also like to note that this isn't the last time that Ruby tries to recreate her move from the food fight. It's something that ends up being reoccurring throughout the story. Does she end up getting it right? ...all I can say to that is that "third time's the charm" and leave you to figure out when that will be.
> 
> And we have our first villain scene of the volume! And it belongs to one of my favorite antagonists from RWBY. I wanted to show... let's just call it a consequence and impact that Roman's arrest at the end of USJ had on others besides the heroes. Unfortunately, Neo doesn't show up often in this volume. It's part of my special brand of slow burn. As much as I love her, to keep things flowing properly, Neo only gets about three scenes to herself and a cameo during the Hero Killer arc.
> 
> Next time!  
> Chapter Five: The General Studies Kid
> 
> The next chapter is short, but I promise its content makes up for it!
> 
> Go Beyond! Plus Ultra!


	5. The General Studies Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Having barely made it to the next round, Ruby's determined to do what she can to make it to the third. However, she meets someone who leaves her questioning... well, a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapters doesn't contain any real warnings, but it does contain one of my favorite characters in My Hero, so I'm pretty excited for the cavalry battle because of it.
> 
> I do apologize for how short this chapter is. I couldn't see a way to extend it, so it meets just about a couple hundred words under my standard word count.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!

The students were given time after crossing the finish line to catch their breath and regain their stamina while the judges decided on the race’s outcome. Ruby silently thanked whatever deity she could for that. Her Quirk relied heavily on her stamina, and having none at the start of the next event would have put her at a disadvantage.

Just as Ruby polished off an entire bottle of water, the judges came to their decision. Midnight called for the students to gather around. Ruby tossed her bottle in a nearby bin before joining her friends and classmates around the stage.

The results of the race were displayed on the screen behind Midnight. According to her, only the top forty-two would advance the next round. Ruby desperately searched for her name, discovering that a majority of Class 1-A had advanced. As she went through the list, she began to worry that she didn’t make it at all. Then, she spotted it. It was placed at the very bottom, with her having come in forty-second place. Ochako put her hands on Ruby’s shoulders, giving them a squeeze.

“Congrats, Ruby!” said her friend, shaking her a bit. “You made it!”

“I made it…” Ruby let out a heavy sigh of pure relief. “I did it…!” Just barely, but she did it!

From on top the stage, Midnight smirked. “Now the real fun is about to begin. The chance to fully move yourselves into the limelight! Give it your best! Let’s see what we have in store for you next…” The screen switched to its roulette wheel and began rapidly spinning. “Will your wildest fantasies come to life? What could it be? The waiting is torture. Prepare yourselves… for this!”

“Cavalry battle?” said Kaminari as the screen finally came to a stop, displaying the second event of the day. “I’m terrible at those.”

“Huh, it’s not an individual event,” mused Tsuyu. “I wonder how they’ll split us up.”

“Allow me to explain.” The screen behind Midnight lit up in a visual demonstration as she began to explain the event ahead. “The participants will form teams of two-to-four people as they see fit. In theory, it’s basically the same as a regular playground game. But there is one difference. Each player has been assigned a point value based on the results from the obstacle course.”

“I get it, a point-based system like the entrance exams,” said Sato, summarizing that part of the rules pretty easily. “That seems pretty simple.”

“So that means each team will have a different point value based on which students are on it,” added Ochako. From beside her, Ashido nodded.

“Maybe you should shut up and let me explain things to you,” snapped Midnight. The students fell silent immediately. The umpire seemed pleased with that. “Now then. The point assignments go up by increments of five, starting at the bottom. For example, forty-second place is worth five points, and forty-first is worth ten. And the point value assigned to the first place contestant is… ten million!” 

First place… that was… Everyone turned their eyes on a poor, shocked-looking Midoriya with darkened gazes. Midoriya, however, looked like he was about to pass out.

“T… Ten million…?” he squeaked out, as if the words carried a sense of dread with them. In a way, Ruby guessed they did. If you took down whatever team Midoriya was on, you would win the cavalry battle for sure. In other words… those ten million points made him the prime target.

“That’s right,” said Midnight, a bit too excited about the contest, “It’s survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!”

She then went on to explain the rules as such. Everyone's individual points would be added together for the team’s total value. Everyone would know how much a team was worth due to the headbands worn by the riders. The event would only last fifteen minutes, and in that time, each team would have to swipe as many headbands as they could to raise their team’s score. Stolen headbands were to be worn from the neck up. If a headband got stolen or a team fell, they would be allowed to keep playing until time was up.

“It’s anyone’s game then,” commented Yaoyorozu.

“And since there are forty-two contestants, there’ll be ten or twelve teams fighting on the field the entire time,” added Sato.

“It sounds hard…” Ruby muttered to herself. On her own, she’d be able to clean up easily, but with the way the teams were… she’d either be carrying someone or being carried. There was no way she could use her Quirk unless she could make sure her teammates would be able to keep up with her somehow.

“This is going to be rough. You may use your Quirks as much as you like. But there are still rules!” Midnight continued on. “Make a team fall on purpose, and I’ll slap you with a red card. You’ll be disqualified! Now, you’ve got fifteen minutes to build your teams. I recommend you get started.”

And with that, the students were free to seperate, strategize and figure out the best way to win the game. For Ruby… it was going to be hard to get on someone’s team. She had so little points… She shook her head. The point count didn’t matter. They would be able to gather more to up their score. She just had to focus on finding a team for now.

Things on that front were… well, going about as well as expected. Everyone was sticking to people from their homeroom classes. A kids with A kids, and B kids with B kids. Well, Ruby guessed it was a good idea. They knew their classmates’ Quirks better than the other students’. It would be a bad idea to partner up with someone if you didn’t know what they could do.

Well, that meant Ruby going for someone from 1-A was probably the best idea. She scanned the crowd, looking for someone that she knew. Lucky for her, she spotted Midoriya all by himself. Well… he was worth so much. People were probably trying to avoid him. With her speed, she could probably help him avoid them and secure a place in the next round!

“Hey, Midori—!”

“You.” Ruby was cut short when someone put their hand on her shoulder. “You're that girl from the entrance exams, aren't you?” She looked back behind her, coming face to face with a purple-haired boy. It took her a moment to recognize him. Her eyes went wide and the first words out of her mouth were:

“I'm sorry—!” The moment those words left Ruby’s mouth, the world around her grew hazy. A thick fog settled into her mind, keeping her own thoughts unable to be heard. She couldn't move. She could see and she could hear, but everything else… it was all foggy. ...that is until the boy in front for her flicked Ruby in the forehead, snapping her back to clarity. “Ow! Hey, what was that for?!”

“Were you just about to apologize to me?” he asked, a brow raised.

“Uh... yeah. It was kind of my fault that you didn't pass the practical exam,” Ruby explained. “If I hadn't gotten in your way—”

“Still would've failed.” She stared at him. “Even if you didn't interfere, I wouldn't have made it into the hero course either way. So don't give me your pity.”

“Pity...? I wasn’t trying to…” She sighed. “Nevermind.” She looked around the field. She had to find… oh.

_ Looks like everyone in 1-A is on a team already…  _ She had missed her chance. Ruby glanced at the boy in front of her. He had only two people on his team by the looks of it. And one of them is Ojiro, too. That was someone she knew and would probably work well with. An idea came to mind.

“Hey, do you need another member on your team?” Ruby asked. The boy simply stared at her for a moment before answering.

“Yes. You don’t look like a suitable horse, though.”

“I'm pretty strong. I can carry you easily with everyone else's help!” That’s what she got for training with the likes of the Xiao Longs. The boy looked around at the crowd of students before turning his attention back at her.

“You willingly want to be on my team?” he asked, as if in slight disbelief. Ruby nodded, and the boy’s defenses returned. “Fine. Just listen to me, and there won’t be a problem.” Ruby nodded again.

“You can count on me!” she told him. So far, so good. The boy fell oddly quiet as he stared out among the other students. Wait, they had their team now. Weren’t they supposed to be talking about strategy or something? Communicate? Or… “Uh… so… do you have a plan yet?”

“The plan is obvious,” said the boy, not looking at her and sounding a bit agitated at Ruby’s questioning. “Go for the competitors with the highest scores, with the exception of the ten million points. Everyone will be focused on going after your classmate that they won’t notice what’s going on around them.”

“If that’s the case…” Ruby glanced over at one group of her classmates standing nearby, “then avoiding Todoroki’s team would also be a smart plan.” The boy hummed, returning his attention to her. And now that she thought about it… “And avoid Bakugo too, if we can help it.”

The boy huffed. “What are you going on about?”

“Huh?” Ruby turned to him. “You said that avoiding the ten million points was the smartest strategy.”

“And going after the higher ranking competitors. Including those two you just listed.” Okay, yeah, but...

“I know it sounds bad, but you have to trust me. The highest ranking competitors are from my class. I’ve fought with some of them before. I’ve seen them fight, too.” The boy raised a brow.

“How exactly is that helpful?”

“Because it means I know them. And Bakugo…” Ruby thought back to the obstacle course and any previous instance where she saw Bakugo get competitive. “Let’s just say it’s better to stay away from him unless you want to get on his bad side and lose. He’s literally explosive. And Todoroki will be gunning for Midoriya the whole time, so we can count him out. Besides, we have to be careful because of Todoroki’s ice. I ended up slipping on it during the obstacle course, and some students got stuck in it at the beginning, so it’s best if we avoid his team in case he tries to pull the same trick again.” 

The boy stared at her for a moment. “How much have you thought about this?” he asked.

“More than you think.” Part of her training for the Sports Festival included studying her classmate's abilities under Weiss’s suggestion. They were going to be facing each other, after all. It only seemed natural to look for weaknesses and strengths… even if Ruby didn’t like having to do so.

The boy smirked. “You know their Quirks.”

“Yeah. Of course.” They were classmates, after all. They trained together. And some of them, Ruby got the details of their Quirks straight from their mouths. “Let’s see…” Ruby glanced over at the teams of the top three competitors — Todoroki, Yaoyorozu, Iida and Kaminari… Bakugo, Kirishima, Sero and Mina… and finally, Midoriya, Ochako, Tokoyami and the pink-haired girl from support Ruby ran into during the obstacle course.

“With Midoriya, he can give himself a boost in strength and power, but he can’t control it. It hurts him when he uses it, so I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him much,” Ruby explained, recalling what she knew about these kids’ Quirks. It was way too early in the festival for Midoriya to sacrifice some bones. “Bakugo can make explosions from the palms of his hands. And Todoroki can generate ice with his right side and heat with his left. Now, their team’s Quirks—” Ruby was cut off when the boy raised his hand.

“Hold that thought. If I need to know their Quirks, I’ll tell you that I need to know their Quirks. For now, I just want to focus on the leaders.” Ruby blinked, raising a brow.

“Okay.” It seemed like a dangerous move to make, but Ruby  _ did _ know the Quirks of their teams… with the exception of that pink-haired girl from the support. And that brought up another thought. “Speaking of Quirks, I’m not sure how all our Quirks will work together,” she didn’t even know what this kid and their other teammate’s Quirks are — just her own and Ojiro’s, “but I think we can work out some kind of plan. My speed—”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Huh?”

“I said don’t worry about it. My Quirk is all that we need to win.” Ruby blinked again.

“Your Quirk is that powerful?” The boy didn’t give any sort of reply to her question. He simply glared at her. 

“I don’t need anyone’s help to get to the top.” But the whole point of this event was to work together. It was kind of impossible to do this alone, but whatever floated his boat. “Just follow my lead and listen to what I say. We’ll be able to advance to the next round. I guarantee it.”

“Okay. If you're sure…” It still seemed dangerous to her. A second thought came to mind. In hindsight, Ruby should have said this earlier, but oh well. Now was a better time than any to say it. “My name’s Ruby, by the way. Ruby Rose! Can I have yours?”

The boy stared at her for a moment, perhaps not used to this much optimism. He then replied: “Hitoshi Shinsou.”

And like that, the buzzer sounded. Time was up. It was time for the second round of the Sports Festival to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Six: Cavalry Battle!  
> So many things are happening at once, it's kind of hard to keep up!


	6. Cavalry Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Todoroki and Bakugo and just about everyone else tries to get Midoriya's ten million points, Ruby's just concerned with getting a single point. It would help if she could just focus!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Screw the cavalry battle. It was difficult for me to write. I ended up having to do a crap-ton of math just to figure out who had what headbands by the end of it.
> 
> I'm not sure if there are any warnings for this chapter, other than Ruby yelling at herself internally. And an outsider's perspective to what happens in the canon.

Time was up. The second round of the U.A. The Sports Festival was set to begin. Ruby and her team — their rider, Shinsou and fellow horses, Ojiro and a boy from 1-B that Ruby didn’t quite get the name of — retrieved their point headband from Ms. Midnight, who looked all too excited for the game to start. After that, it was the simple matter of getting into position. Ruby stood at the back along with Ojiro, acting as one of Shinsou’s main supports.

Though… Ruby found it strange that Ojiro really wasn’t saying anything to her. He wasn’t talkative by any means, but he hasn't quite the silent type either. She had at least expected him to acknowledge her in some way. Maybe he was that focused on the task?

“ _ After fifteen minutes to pick teammates and talk strategy, twelve cavalry teams are preparing to go head-to-head! _ ” said Present Mic as the teams readied themselves in their positions.

“ _ I see some unexpected student combinations, _ ” muttered Aizawa loud enough for the microphone to pick it up. Ruby glanced up at Shinsou as he put on his headband.

“ _ Come on, everyone get your hands in the air! It’s time for an arena-thumping U.A. battle royale! Let me hear ya scream! _ ” The crowd gave Present Mic what he wanted, crying out loud enough to make themselves sound like white noise. “ _ Okay, all you first years. I hope you’re happy with your chosen teams! Let’s get this party started! One final countdown before the game starts! Three! Two! One! _ ”

Almost immediately, as soon as they were given the signal to move, nearly all the other teams rushed towards Midoriya’s. With a press of a button, the team was launched into the air with the help of the pink-haired support student's gear. Jirou attempted to attack them with her earphone jacks, only for Tokoyami to block with Dark Shadow. With what had to be Ochako’s Quirk, the team was moving around quite easily, almost completely weightless.

_I was going to help Midoriya move around with my speed, but it looks like he has it covered._ Ruby shook her head. Okay, she had to focus on the task at hand. Avoid the others, get enough points to get to the next round. But what could Ruby even do here? Shinsou had told her to only listen to him. Why he had said that, she wasn’t sure. But…. With everyone going after Midoriya, they were sure to be distracted. All Ruby and her team had to do was swing by and grab their headbands—

Ruby felt something collide with her shoulder. The force of it was strong enough to make her lose her footing. 

“Hey!” Ruby stumbled a bit, trying to balance both herself and trying not to drop Shinsou in the process. She heard the boy she was holding up sharply gasp as his horse almost fell. He grabbed Ruby’s shoulder in a panic to brace himself as she caught sight of another team rushing past.

“Watch it!” barked Shinsou.

“Sorry…” It wasn’t her fault that people were getting so rough. Ruby looked up at the team’s leader. It took her a second to realize exactly why she had almost been tripped. “Shinsou, our headband!”

“I know!” It had barely even been two minutes. How did they lose their headband this fast!? Ruby looked forward. She finally got a chance to see who had almost knocked her over. A team had rushed past them, and in their rider’s hand, she could see the headband Shinsou had been wearing moments earlier. Wait… their rider… Ruby’s eyes went wide.

_ When Ruby opened her eyes. A girl had come to the rescue, her long orange hair tied into a side ponytail on her head. She didn’t give Ruby the option of accepting her help. She immediately pulled the smaller back onto her feet. _

_ “Are you okay?” the girl asked. Ruby stared at her savior before quickly nodding. _

_ “Oh, yeah!” she replied. “Thanks!” _

_ Ruby felt the girl get a good and tight hold on her arm as they raced away from the robot. In hindsight, she should’ve warned her ahead of time. She didn’t stop until they were back near the entrance and safe. Ruby felt the girl let go, in favor of clapping her hand on her back. _

_ “Maybe I should be thanking you,” she said. Ruby flashed her a smile. She really didn’t need it. It was just the right thing to do. She opened her mouth to say just that, when the loudspeakers crackled to life. _

_ “Two minutes remaining!” called the voice hero over the speaker, and cutting Ruby off. Ruby sighed as the redheaded girl pulled away. _

_ “Good luck!” _

_ It’s that girl from the entrance exam!  _ So she did get into U.A. after all. Good for her on that, but now really wasn’t the time to be pleased. She had just stolen their headband, as well as their only points.

“ _ Wow! Barely two minutes have passed since we started, and it’s already a total free for all! Yeah! Watch those headbands! You can even ignore the ten million points and go after the other chart toppers! _ ” Ruby huffed a sigh.

_ And there’s our plan, out there for everyone. _ At least they wouldn’t be going after them now with their lack of headband. That was one positive in this situation. Another positive was that they were not targets of the free-for-all that ensued with Mineta’s team and a team made up of Class 1-B students rushing for Midoriya. The team tried to flee, only to be stuck on one of Mineta’s balls. Tsuyu’s tongue came at him from the same direction.

“ _ Team Mineta’s coming in like a tank, making clever use of how compact their members are! _ ” Ruby glanced over at the first place team. Sure enough, the combination of Mezo Shoji (another member of 1-A whose Quirk gave him tentacle-like arms that he could morph), Tsuyu and Mineta were all using the full force of their Quirks to try and bring down Midoriya, who was dodging like a scared rabbit. With the help of the support item on his back, he was able to launch himself and the rest of his team high up in the air and away from anyone coming for them.

Well… almost anyone. Bakugo had acted quickly, countering Midoriya’s defenses by creating a series of explosions to throw himself up high enough to… well, attack might be the best word instead of ‘take their headband’. He probably would have to, if it weren’t for Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow acting quickly, blocking one of Bakugo’s well-aimed explosions from hitting Midoriya.

“ _ Bakugo has been separated from his horses! _ ” Ruby caught sight of Sero using his tape to reel Bakugo back in before he even touched the ground. “ _ Is that even allowed? _ ”

“ _ He never touched the ground, so technically it’s okay! _ ” called Midnight. Ochako yelped as the team came skidding to a stop.

“ _ As expected, everyone’s after the first place team, giving them no time to catch their breath. What a show this is! Now who wants to take a look at each team’s points so far? It’s been seven minutes, so let’s get those rankings thrown up on the screen. Hold on here. This is an unexpected turn. Other than Midoriya, Class 1-A’s not doin’ so hot. _ ”

Ruby glanced up at the screen displaying the scores. Present Mic was right. The teams taking the lead were teams Tetsutetsu, Monoma and Kendou. Ruby recognized none of these names, chalking it up to those students being from another class. They were in control of the second, third and fourth place spots. Every other 1-A team with the exception of Midoriya and Todoroki had lost all their points. Even Bakugo of all people was sitting at zero now.

_ Wow. _ Ruby shook her head. They needed to focus!  _ She  _ needed to focus. They were still pointless.

“They aren't staying in the lead for long…” Ruby said before she glanced up at Shinsou. “What’s the plan?”

“It hasn’t changed. Just move towards the members of 1-B,” he replied, eyes narrowed one the girl Ruby met during her entrance exam. “Take their points! Take back our own points.”

Ruby nodded. “Right!”

Before the team could take even a few steps forward, another group cut them off. It was Todoroki and his team, ready for a fierce confrontation with Midoriya. ...he was really serious about that declaration of war, wasn’t he…?

“ _ And now we’ve reached the halfway point of the game! _ ” cried out Present Mic. Ruby’s eyes widened.

_ What?! _ They were still pointless! How could eight minutes past that quickly?!

“ _ As the cavalry battle enters its second half, it’s anyone’s game! Class 1-B has made an unexpected showing, but who will wear the ten million points in the end? That’s the real question, sports fans! _ ”

“Move forward,” said Shinsou, expression and tone getting fiercer. “Aim for those at the top!” 

The team moved forward just as Iida kicked on his engines, helping Todoroki’s own team rush towards Midoriya’s. Ruby watched as Yaoyorozu created some sort of stone polea from her arm and a thick blanket-looking object from her stomach. And as she stuck the rock into the ground, Todoroki grabbed the sheet and covered their team with it, with the exception of Kaminari. It took Ruby a second to find out why.

“Indiscriminate Shock, 1.3 million volts!” shouted Kaminari. Oh no. 

“Look out!” cried Ruby.

“Stop!” As soon as Shinsou gave the order, the team came to an halt. And just in time, too. Kaminari let his electricity fly. While Todoroki’s team was protected by Yaoyorozu’s insulated sheet and Midoriya’s by Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow, the others… weren’t so lucky. They screamed as they were electrocuted. Todoroki shed the sheet and grabbed the stone Momo had made. He froze it, with the ice readily reaching out to capture all the teams that were around him. They were frozen in place, with Team Shinsou just outside of that blast radius. 

“ _ Will you look at that!? _ ” exclaimed Present Mic. “ _ He’s stopped all those teams cold in their tracks! _ ” Almost all of them. Thanks to Shinsou’s quick reaction time, the four people who made up his team were able to stop just outside of Todoroki’s reach.

“ _ But only after Kaminari had immobilized the students using his electricity _ ,” brought up Aizawa. “ _ In the obstacle course, he was surprised by how many people avoided his attack. He’s adapting his strategy. _ ” As good as it was, that move seemed to scare the crap out of Shinsou.

“What was that?” he asked, sounding a bit shaken.

“It’s Kaminari!” Ruby told him. “His Quirk lets him cover his body with electricity and shoot it out in all different directions!”

“You couldn’t have said something before?!”

“You told me not to!” It wasn’t her fault, she had tried! Meanwhile, Todoroki snatched the headbands of the teams he passed by, getting dangerously close to Ruby and Shinsou’s own team in the process.

“Move!” With the order, Team Shinsou was barely able to get out of the way of Team Todoroki as they raced back towards Team Midoriya as fast as possible, probably getting a boost from Iida’s engines. Todoroki didn’t seem to pay them much mind though. He really couldn’t take their headband since they didn’t have one… ...but he might have just left them with a chance.

“ _ Team Midoriya has nowhere left to run! _ ” Ruby looked over at where Midoriya’s team had once been. A wall of ice had surrounded them, cutting them and presumably Todoroki’s team off from everyone else. Ruby shook her head. Now that those two were out of the running and unreachable...

“We have a chance,” Ruby said, not giving herself a moment to think about the consequences of a plan any further. They needed to act, and they needed to act now.

“Who,” Shinsou asked, the word coming out as more of a statement than a question… Okay, maybe Ruby did have to think about this a little.

“ _ Only one minute left! _ ” The crowd cheered at Present Mic’s announcement. “ _ Todoroki has cornered the ten million point team and is poised to seize the ultimate prize! At least, that’s what I would have predicted five minutes ago! Unbelievably, Team Midoriya’s been able to keep away from the ice master for the last half of the game!” _

“Give me a second,” said Ruby, doing her best to try and concentrate. Everything going on around her… She shook her head, trying hard to focus on a plan and not her surroundings. Most of the other contestants were frozen in place, and Bakugo was gunning it for a 1-B team now...

“ _ Wha-ho-ho! What just happened? That was one big blur! Holy smokes, folks! Why didn’t he show off that super speed in the preliminaries?! _ ” Super speed? But she hadn't… no, wait. That had to have been Iida. Wait, what did Iida just  _ do _ ?

“Focus, Red!” Shinsou's voice snapped Ruby back to reality.

“Right!” she said with a firm nod. She could hear the crowd cheer.

“ _ Insanity! This entire game was just turned completely on its head! Todoroki’s team has the ten million points, and Midoriya’s team is suddenly left with nothing at all! _ ” Wait, what?!

_ When did that happen?!  _ Shinsou dug his heel into the palm of her hand.

“I say focus, Red!” he told her.

“ _ With time almost up, Team Todoroki is in first place with four headbands. Despite their best efforts, Team Midoriya has fallen to the bottom! Will these be the top four teams that move on to the next round? _ ” Crap!

“I’m doing my best here!” Ruby shot back at her leader. Ideas were being thrown around in her head, getting tossed out as fast as she could think of them, but the excitement going on was making it hard to think. She grit her teeth. She had to come up with something!

Ruby let out a yelp as Bakugo jumped his horses once again, not too far away from where she was. He blasted over to what Ruby guessed was one of the 1-B teams. Despite one of the horses creating what looked like an invisible wall to keep Bakugo away, it was clear nothing was going to protect them. Bakugo shattered it, grabbing the headbands from the team’s rider in the process.

“ _ Team Bakugo nabs two headbands and moves into third place! _ ” cried out Present Mic. _ “The final moments of the game has been full of shakeups! Oh, to be young again! _ ”

“ _ Now look at this. Class 1-B’s strategy was a reasonable one, but there’s one thing they forgot to consider. Class 1-B didn’t take into account Bakugo’s overwhelming tenacity, _ ” said Aizawa as Mina cleared a path for her team with her acid, and Sero pulled them closer to the target with his tape. While their targeted team tried to defend with what looked like another wall of air, Bakugo was able to once again blast through it. He snatched the final headband from the team.

“ _ Bakugo is a merciless force! What a point hog! That was a shield break heard ‘round the arena, and I can’t wait to watch the replay! _ ” And now, Bakugo was racing towards Midoriya and Todoroki. Which made one thing click in Ruby’s mind.

_ The top three are out of the way! _

“ _ With just eleven seconds left, Team Midoriya’s back in the game! _ ” Dammit!

_ Come on, Ruby! Think!  _ Besides Bakugo and Todoroki, who had the most—! She looked at the screen, and her eyes widened. The third place team wasn’t that far away from them.

“ _ Oh no! Team Midoriya didn’t get ten million points after all! The game is almost over! Time for a countdown! _ ” The ice wall was blown apart by Bakugo as he and his team finally arrived to join the conflict over first place. Ten seconds left. They were now definitely out. Which only left...

“Go for third place!” Ruby finally said at long last. “Team Tetsutetsu!”

“You heard her. Move!” The team moved in sync under Shinsou’s order, racing towards the fourth place team as fast as their legs could carry them. It was then that time that felt like it slowed down. They ran past team Tetsutetsu, Shinsou reaching out to snatch away the headbands that their rider had. As they did, Ojiro bumped into some, jostling the team’s structure and making them stumble.

“ _ Time’s up! And with that, the second round is officially over! _ ” The world returned to its normal speed as Present Mic cried that out over the speakers. Ruby only now realized how fast and how hard she had been pushing herself to move as the adrenaline started to dribble out of her system. She panted as the sweat that had made her hair stick to her forehead ran down her face. The team slowly came to a stop. “ _ Now, let’s take a look at who our top four teams are! In first place, Team Todoroki! _ ”

“Did you get them?” Ruby asked. Shinsou had already placed the headbands around his neck as he nodded. Ruby grinned. They had made it.

“I _ n second place, Team Bakugo! _ ” Ruby could hear Bakugo angrily screaming a few meters away.

“Let me down, will ya?” said Shinsou. Oh, right… they were still holding him up. Ruby helped her team leader down onto the ground, while the rest… The other two just seemed to grow confused.

“ _ In third place is Tetsute— Wait, what? It’s Team Shinsou? When did they come back from the dead? _ ” Shinsou smirked. The moment he was set down, he began walking away from his team.

“Thanks for all your help,” he said simply, sounding satisfied with the match’s outcome.

“Not a problem! I—” Ruby called back, stopping when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, only to be met with an frustrated-looking Ojiro.

“Don’t,” he said, eyes focused on their team’s leader as he walked away. Ruby stared at him. They were moving on. She didn’t get why he looked so upset.

“ _ And in fourth place is Team Midoriya! _ ” Now there were happy, crying Midoriya screams. Ruby blinked. Wait what? But they lost their points! She looked over at the screen. Right underneath their own team was Midoriya’s, secure with 685. Huh. They must’ve managed to take some of Todoroki’s points before time was up. “ _ These four valiant teams will advance on to the final round! _ ”

Ruby sighed, “We made it…” For a second there, Ruby thought that they weren't even going to—

“Did we?” Ruby looked over at her classmate, a brow raised.

“Ojiro, what’s wrong?” All Ruby got in return was a bewildered look form Ojiro. What?

“What do you mean what’s wrong?” Ruby simply shrugged, unsure of what exactly to say. She… didn’t see anything wrong with what had just happened. They were going on to the third round, after all. That was a good thing, right?

“ _ Now, let’s take an hour lunch break before we start the afternoon festivities! See ya soon! _ ” And with that announcement from Present Mic, the students started to file out of the stadium. Ojiro groaned, catching sight of Shinsou as he exited the arena.

“Something about that guy isn’t right…” muttered Ojiro to himself. Ruby glanced over at him. What was he talking about?

“I mean…” Ruby replied to something that really hadn’t been directed at her, “he was a bit harsh, but…”

“That’s not it, Rose. It's his Quirk.” Ruby blinked.

“His Quirk?” She shoved her hands into her pockets. “What about it?”

“Well…” Ojiro sighed. “I'm not sure but…” Not even he had an answer, huh? Ruby looked back to Shinsou as they left the arena.

Just what did that kid do to warrant Ojiro of all people to say something like that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This so far is my least favorite chapter, and I apologize for that. Good news is one of my favorite chapters of thearc is up next!
> 
> Next time:  
> Chapter Seven: The Sad Story of Shouto Todoroki
> 
> Todoroki is what?!


	7. The Sad Story of Shouto Todoroki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby did not expect to find out more about her classmate than she did today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains mentions of implied child abuse, eavesdropping and a grape.
> 
> This is one of my favorite chapters for the Sports Festival aside from chapter 13. I'm not sure why, but it is. But are you guys ready to hear Todoroki's backstory again?

The first year students all separated from their cavalry battle teammates. Now that they were free for the lunch break, many of them sought out their friends and the rest of their classmates. Ruby was no exception to that. Aside from Ojiro, she had been split from the other members of 1-A for the cavalry battle. 

As she and Ojiro exited the arena, Ruby scanned the crowd with silver eyes for any hide, hair, feather or otherwise of Class 1-A. Her height certainly didn’t help her search, sitting on the shorter side when compared to the other students. she was about to give up hope when she heard a few familiar voices as they funneled out the exit.

“Iida, you were holding out on us! I had no idea you could do that!”

“Rest assured, it wasn’t my intention to deceive you. I was just being strategic. I merely wanted to show that I could compete with Midoriya.”

“You’re always trying to one-up each other.” Standing up on her toes, Ruby finally spotted her friends.

“Iida! Ochako!” Ruby rushed over to the two and ended up getting caught in a tight squeeze from Ochako. “Congrats!”

“Ruby!” said Ochako with a short squeal before letting the taller of the two go. “You made it!”

“We all did! My team barely even made it; we just got out on pure luck.” And probably Shinsou’s Quirk now that Ruby thought about it. Ojiro seemed afraid of it, but… Ruby shook her head. “But I don’t know how you guys pulled it off but wow! It must’ve been something!”

“You didn’t see what happened?” said Iida, a bit confused.

“You guys were kind of blocked by an ice wall…” That, and she was trying her best to stay focused on getting points and couldn’t really pay much attention to them. Ochako and Iida exchanged a look with each other before explaining to her what happened between Todoroki’s team and Midoriya’s team. 

While Midoriya had indeed been cornered, he was able to keep Todoroki at bay by exploiting the fact that the latter didn’t use his left side in combat. As time was running out, Iida had taken the initiative and pulled out a special move he had been saving. He put his gears into overdrive, resulting in an impressive burst of speed that rendered him an absolute blur, as well as allowing Todoroki to swipe Midoriya’s headband.

“Holy crap, Iida!” Ruby exclaimed, eyes wide and bright as the story came to a finish. “You gotta teach me to move that fast!”

“I would if I could, but your speed seems to be based on stamina more than anything else,” said Iida, backing off a little. “My Quirk isn’t.” He wasn’t exactly wrong, and part of Ruby hated that he picked up on that little fact.

“Doesn't hurt to try! If you won’t teach me, will you at least race me? I want to see who's faster.”

“We’ll get in trouble if we do that.” Not if they didn’t get caught… and not if certain teachers didn’t catch them. Ruby could count off a few who would be fine with it.

“Come on, Iida. Please!”

“Not right now.” Much to Iida’s dismay, Ruby was now grinning.

“I’m not hearing a no~!” she said in a singsong manner.

“I do wonder who's faster though…” mused Ochako, tapping a finger to her chin.

Iida sighed at both girls now gunning for Ruby’s idea. “Please don’t encourage her…”

“At least it’s not as bad as you and Deku…” Ochako looked around. “Speaking of which, has anyone seen him?” Ruby blinked. Midoriya usually was close by whenever it came to Iida and Ochako. She just thought he was lagging behind a little. 

“Now that you mention it. I haven’t seen him since the break started.” Okay, that was really strange. Both of their teams had ended the round close to each other. Did Midoriya walk off or…? Ruby couldn’t see that head of wild green curls anywhere.

“He might still be the arena,” Ruby muttered before saying aloud: “I'll go look for him!”

“Ruby—” Ochako started. Ruby only flashed her a grin.

“Don't worry. I'll be back in a flash!” Before Ochako or Iida could say anything to stop her, Ruby dashed off back into the arena.

A quick survey of the area showed her that no, Midoriya had not remained behind there. Maybe he went out a different way? Even if it didn't make much sense, it was still a possibility. She left almost as quickly as she came. No… she still didn't see him. At this point, she was pretty sure all the students came out the same exit… so where was he? He had to be somewhere nearby, she knew that. ...well, time to start looking. Before they both missed lunch.

“Midoriya!” Ruby called out, slowing down her pace a little as to not wear herself out just yet, “...Midoriya!” She bit back a groan when her only reply was birds. Where could he have gone? Did All Might want to talk to him about something again? Ruby let out a sigh, preparing to call out Midoriya’s name once more when she heard a voice on the edge of her senses. It sounded familiar… Ruby followed after it.

“No, no way— that’s not it at all!” Ruby recognized that panicked-paced speech. It was definitely Midoriya alright. She followed the sound of his voice to another exit — a small alcove in the wall of the arena. “But I guess even if I was, I’d totally say I wasn’t, so you probably won’t believe me no matter what, I bet. Anyway, I promise, you’ve got the wrong idea. And… Why would you even think that about me?” Ruby came to a steady stop outside of the entrance. Wait, was he talking to someone? There was a brief moment of silence before: 

“‘That’s not it at all’ is interesting wording. It suggests there is something between you two that you’re not supposed to talk about.” Ruby raised a brow. Todoroki? What were they... They normally don’t talk… Todoroki didn’t talk to anyone, actually. Whatever it was must’ve been important then if they were. Maybe she should just wait until they were done...

“My father is the hero Endeavor. You must’ve heard of him. Which means you’re aware that he’s the number two hero,” Todoroki continued. From her hiding place, Ruby’s eyes went wide. She recalled when she first heard Todoroki’s name. It sounded familiar to her, but at the time she couldn’t place why. But now.... How did she not realize that?! “So, if you’re connected to the number one hero, All Might, in some way, that would mean… that I have even more reason to beat you. My old man is ambitious. He aims for the top. He used his power to make a name for himself as a hero. But he was never able to best All Might, so the Symbol of Peace is living proof of his failure. He’s still at it, though. Trying to take down All Might, one way or another.”

Ruby blinked. Wait… what?

“I’m not really sure what you’re getting at,” said Midoriya, unintentionally voicing Ruby’s thoughts for her. “What are you trying to tell me, Todoroki?”

“Have you ever heard of… Quirk Marriages?” Quirk… what? Midoriya didn't reply, which meant that he didn’t know either. “They became a problem in the first few generations after superpowers became widespread. There were those who sought out potential mates solely with the intention of creating powerful children. Many people were forced into relationships. They were simply viewed as old-fashioned arranged marriages. But, clearly, it was unethical. 

Todoroki’s tone took a turn. “My father has not only a rich history of accomplishments, but plenty of money to throw at his problems. He bought my mother’s relatives to get his hands on her Quirk. And now he’s raising me to usurp All Might.” Midoriya gasped, and Ruby went rigid. The number two hero… she never really thought about what he was like outside of costume before. She never had a reason to. “It’s so annoying. I refused to be a tool for that scumbag.

“In every memory of my mother, I only see her crying. I remember she called my left side unbearable… before she poured boiling water on my face,” Todoroki’s voice cracked. Ruby covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to keep herself silent.

_ Todoroki…!  _ All this time… that was the reason behind his scar?! There had been a small part of her that wondered how he got it, but… it felt too rude to ask about. Ruby shouldn’t be listening to this, she knew that, but… she couldn't find the strength to move.

“The reason I picked a fight with you was to show my old man what I was capable of doing. Without having to rely on his damned fire Quirk,” Ruby heard Todoroki say. “You see, I’m going to show him that I reject his power, and I can take first place without using it.”

They came from similar backgrounds. Both of their parents were Pro Heroes. But… despite that… his childhood sounded so much different than hers. And it sounded  _ horrible _ , twisting up her insides. Ruby perked up when she heard footsteps coming her way. In a panic, she darted away from the alcove with a useful boost from her Quirk. Unsure where exactly to go, she dove into nearby bushes, hoping that it would do something to hide her. That was a private conversation, she shouldn’t have been there. She couldn't imagine how mad Todoroki and Midoriya would get if they knew she had been listening.

“You’re obviously connected to All Might. Even if you won’t tell me about it,” Ruby heard Todoroki say the moment she found herself safely hidden from view by the bush’s branches. “But no matter how fiercely you come at me in the future, I will defeat you using only my right side. I can assure you of that.” She could hear rushing footsteps. Yeah… That whole thing explained… well, it explained a lot.

“Hey, wait!” The footsteps stopped as Midoriya called out. “I’m only here because others have supported me. I’ve been really lucky. In fact, I’ve had even more help since I’ve come to the U.A. All Might is constantly saving people with a fearless smile. He’s the greatest hero. And I wanna be just like him. In order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become number one. I know my motivation might seem stupid compared to yours. But still… I can’t lose this, either. I owe it to everyone who’s supported me to try my best. You declared war on me earlier. Well, right back at you. I am going to beat you.”

And… that made four. Four war declarations from the first years, and most of them were from Class 1-A. The moment that followed was filled with tension. Ruby silently prayed for them to leave so that she could, too. After a while, she heard footsteps receding… and then stopping.

“H-Hey, are you coming?” stammered Midoriya.

“Go on without me,” Todoroki told him. “I’ll head to the cafetiera soon.”

“Uh, o-okay…” Ruby remained still and silent, doing her best to control her breathing as she listened to Midoriya retreat. She kept her fingers crossed, silently hoping that Todoroki would soon leave, too. It was his story that just got dropped like that. If anyone was going to be mad at her, it definitely would’ve been him.

And then a shock of frost crept up her back in a sudden burst. Ruby yelped at the cold, jumping straight up. She stumbled back, falling out of the bush and onto the ground. She looked up. Todoroki was staring down at her, a thin trail of ice connecting his foot to where Ruby just was.

Ruby chuckled nervously. “...hi.” Todoroki stared at her, his expression as unreadable as always.

“What were you doing?” he asked as Ruby stood, brushing the leaves, twigs and dirt off of her clothes. “Eavesdropping?” Her face went red.

“No! I mean. Me? Eavesdropping? No way! Why would I do that? I'm not that type of girl, Todoroki!” Todoroki simply bent down and pulled something off of the ground. Ruby recognized it instantly. It was a rose petal. It was one of  _ her _ rose petals.

“You leave rose petals when you run,” he said, holding it out for her to see. He then gestured to the alcove where he had just been. “There’s a trail leading from the exit to where you're standing right now.”

“No!” Todoroki stared at her. She… really couldn’t out worm her way around this, could she? Ruby sighed, starting to brush twigs and leaves from her hair. “I wasn't eavesdropping! I mean, not on purpose! I was just looking for Midoriya and it seemed like you two were having an important conversation so I didn't want to interrupt. I was just waiting for you to finish but…” She stopped, staring at the ground. “Sorry…”

Todoroki plucked a twig from her hair and casted it off to the side with a flick of his finger. “How much did you hear?”

“I heard when you were talking about Midoriya’s connection to All Might,” Ruby admitted. At least he didn’t sound mad. “It  _ is _ a little weird, but…”

“So you heard everything.” Okay, maybe he sounded a little bit mad. Ruby bit her lip, then nodded. Todoroki huffed, and the next thing Ruby knew, he had grabbed her wrist. “Come on.”

Ruby let out a yelp as Todoroki started to drag her behind him as if she were a lost child “Where are we going?”

“The cafeteria.” He let her go. “It is our lunch break.” Ruby blinked. ...oh. She followed behind him, a strange and awkward silence building. He wasn’t going to talk to her about it? Say  _ anything _ ? Or tell her to pretend that it never happened at all? Ruby began fidgeting with the hem of her jacket. What she had just heard… it wasn’t something that she could easily ignore.

And as they approached the school’s cafeteria, something came to Ruby’s mind: a memory of what had happened a few weeks prior. That food fight… and Todoroki’s reaction after they got in trouble. How quiet he had been...

“Todoroki, about your dad… “ Ruby picked up her pace so that she was walking next to him, and Todoroki avoided looking at her. “Is that why you got all panicked after the food fight? Because Mr. Aizawa was gonna tell our parents?” There was a moment where Todoroki said nothing, acting like he hadn’t heard her. When that moment past and Ruby was still staring at him, he sighed.

“Lucky for me, my sister was the one who answered the phone. She helped me get changed and got rid of the stains on my uniform before my father could notice, too,” Todoroki told her. His eyes briefly glazed over. “I don’t want to think about what would happen if he found out I took part in it.”

“I just never thought…” She never thought that a hero — especially one as high-ranking as Endeavor — would do such things.

Todoroki shrugged. “No one does. You and Iida are lucky like that, I guess.”

“Me?” Todoroki nodded. “What about me and Iida?”

“You come from hero families like I do,” Todoroki explained. “But your parents never pressured you to do anything. They never made you fight. You trained and became heroes because you wanted to.” Ruby stared at him.

“You don’t want to be a hero?”

“I do. It’s just…” Todoroki sighed, running a hand through his hair, “complicated.”

“Hmm…” What Todoroki said finally sunk in. “Wait. Todoroki, I never told you that I came from a hero family.”

“So you do come from a hero family then.” Ruby opened her mouth to reply, only to close it again. That… was a really clever play, actually. “You’re not exactly denying it, Rose.”

“I’m not.” She didn’t have any real reason to. It was just something she just usually didn’t tell people. “But it’s weird that you know that.”

“I only guessed that you were,” said Todoroki with a small shrug. “You do look exactly like her.” Ruby blinked.

“Like who?”

“Former number three hero: Ms. Moonlight.” Ruby faltered for a second. ...oh. He figured that out pretty quickly. “Is she your mother?”

“Yeah,” Ruby nodded, glancing at the ground. “She was…”

“I'm assuming that makes Harbinger your father—” Ruby immediately went bright red.

“What? No!” she exclaimed, causing Todoroki to stare at her. “N-No, he's just my uncle,” Ruby explained a bit more calmly. “My dad's Golden Dragon.”

“Hm…” Todoroki hummed, his face scrunching up in concentration, “you mentioned having a sister before. He has a daughter older than you, right?”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah. She's in her third year here. Yang Xiao Long.” Todoroki merely hummed in response. “I’m… kind of surprised you figured that out. No one else has, which is pretty weird. It’s like you said, I look exactly like my mom.”

“We were still kids when she passed. I’m sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. She died fighting villains and protecting someone so… it’s the most honorable way for a hero to go.” Ruby chuckled quietly, trying to diffuse the pain that was tightening in her chest. She couldn’t even remember it, so... it didn’t matter. Not to her, anyway. “Why’d you bring that up?”

“My father didn’t get along with her, either. She was a threat to his ranking, according to what my sister heard him say.” A small pit of dread fell into Ruby's stomach.

“Please don’t tell me you’re going to declare war on me, too,” she said. Much to her relief, Todoroki shook his head.

“No. I don’t see a reason to,” he said as he did so. “But if you end up fighting me in the tournament, I will.”

“...okay.” That… didn’t make her feel entirely better. Todoroki had a powerful enough Quirk as is, but a war declaration on her would make a fight between them all that much harder.

Todoroki said one more thing as they got closer to the cafeteria’s doors. “I’d also appreciate it if you kept this to yourself.” 

Now that caught Ruby by surprise. She stared at Todoroki.

“I would prefer that you told no one about what you heard,” Todoroki repeated. Ruby continued to stare. She still didn’t get it. “I wanted it to remain between myself and Midoriya, but since you overheard, I have to tell you, too. Don’t tell anyone about what you heard.”

Oh. But what she just heard… “But Todoroki. Your dad—”

“—is the number two Pro Hero,” Todoroki finished for her. That wasn’t what she was going to say at all, but—! “He’s been doing what he pleases for this long. If there were a way to expose what he did and get the public to believe it, my siblings and I would have found out by now. Just leave it alone. I don’t want to stir up trouble for you or anyone else. Trust me. If anyone else found out, it would only make things worse. Keep what you heard to yourself.”

_ Todoroki…  _ As much as she wanted to say no… to tell him that it wasn’t right, that he needed to tell someone… Ruby knew that would never work. She bit her lip and nodded.

“I promise.” And that was the last of it. When they entered the cafeteria, it was already buzzing with chatter and sweaty teenagers. The pair got their food in silence, with Ruby still mulling over the promise she had made. it didn’t sound like the safest thing to do. There were times where she looked at Weiss and thought about what exactly a family dynamic like that could do. She didn’t want Todoroki to get hurt… but she also didn’t want him mad at her either.

“Ruby!” Ruby snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Ochako call for her. She was sitting with Iida and Midoriya, as per usual. Ruby had been subconsciously following Todoroki this entire time. “There you are!”

“Huh?” Midoriya’s eyes widened a little when he spotted who Ruby was with.. “Todoroki…?”

Todoroki pointed a thumb at the girl standing next to him. “I ran into her on my way back,” he explained before Ruby could get a word out. “She was looking for you, so I told her where you went. That’s all.” He glanced over at her, his silence more than enough for Ruby to bite her lip.

“Y-Yeah…” she said, confirming the lie. Todoroki only offered her a short nod as a goodbye before taking his leave to sit on his own. It stung somewhat to lie to her friends, but she did make a promise… and Todoroki seemed like he really didn’t want anyone to know about his secret… or his family for that matter.

Ruby sat down, either way, hoping to try and take her mind off of things before the tournament began. That was what this break was meant to do. And lucky for her, her friends seemed to be able to distract her (and as it seemed, Midoriya) from the sad story they had just heard about Todoroki.

Her mind was just about off of the promise she had made as the break came to an end. And as the break came to an end...

“Rose! Uraraka!” Ruby looked up from what remained of her lunch. Yaoyorozu and Jirou had rushed over to their table, both of them looking a bit worried. “You need to come with us! Now!” said 1-A’s deputy representative.

“Huh?” Ochako swallowed down what she had in her mouth before continuing. “What…?”

“Just come on!” Jirou said as she reached over, taking the two girls in the hands and dragging them away from their table, much to the entire group’s confusion.

_ Aw, my lunch…! _ At least she ate most of it. Yaoyorozu and Jirou took the two girls over to a small corner of the cafeteria. The rest of the girls of Class 1-A were there — Mina, Tsuyu, and Toru Hagakure (a girl whose Quirk rendered her entire body invisible). Now this… was a bit strange, actually. 

“What’s going on?” asked Ochako once Jirou finally let them go. “Is everything okay?” There was a moment as nerves began to wash over Yaoyorozu again.

“Did you guys know about the cheer competition this afternoon?” she asked, not really meeting any of her classmates' gazes. The rest of the girls exchanged looks with each other.

“The what competition?” Yaoyorozu groaned, more upset over their confusion if anything.

“Mineta came up to us and reminded us about it,” Jirou explained, putting a hand on Yaoyorozu’s shoulder. “Apparently it's some competition before the finals that all the girls have to take part in.” Okay, that explained it.

“Are we really going to trust that little perv?” Mina asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“He doesn’t have a good track record,” added Tsuyu. Ruby nodded in agreement. Out of all the members of Class 1-A, Minoru Mineta… Yeah, he wasn’t the most respective when it came to the girls and their personal matters. Simply put, Mina was right. He was a pervert.

“Normally no, but he also said that this came straight from Aizawa,” Jirou continued. “Kaminari was also with him and backed up his story. And after everything, well…” She exchanged a look with Momo, both girls looking uneasy. “I don’t want to take the risk.”

Ruby briefly recalled Jirou and Yaoyorozu coming out of the USJ with Kaminari on the day the League of Villains attacked them. Maybe that’s why they were so ready to trust him and his word rather than Mineta’s alone. The girls were quiet until Ruby spoke up.

“I guess…” she said. “if Kaminari said so.” And besides, Ruby trusted Kaminari more than she trusted Mineta. For one, Kaminari had been really nice to her since arriving at U.A. She could consider them friends at this point. Why would he lie about this? Slowly, the rest of the girls agreed that maybe they were telling the truth. Momo perked back up easily, eyes blazing like the deputy representative she was.

“I can take care of the uniforms,” she said. “I just need your measurements and we’ll be fine.”

And with that, the girls of Class 1-A scurried out of the cafeteria, moving quickly to put together what they needed before the festival started back up. 

* * *

The girls of 1-A scrambled to get ready in the short amount of time that they had. Ruby supposed that Yaoyorozu’s Quirk helped cut that time in half. By the time the Sports Festival was ready to continue, the girls were all set for the cheer competition. Though… Ruby found it a bit strange. They hadn’t done this in the past. Besides, the Sports Festival was usually three main events. Was this a new thing that they were doing?

“ _ Get those foam fingers in the air! It’s almost time for the last round! _ ” cried out Present Mic as the students returned to the field. “ _ But before that: good news for everyone who didn’t make the finals. Since this  _ is _ a sports festival, we’ve prepared some super-fun side games everyone can participate in! We even brought in cheerleaders from America to get your blood pumping! _ ” The commentator paused, his upbeat tone dropping significantly. “ _ Hold up. _ ”

“ _ What are they doing? _ ” Ruby heard Mr. Aizawa say, sounding exasperated by the sight he saw. She couldn’t quite blame him. The pieces were starting to come together the moment she saw that it was only the girls of Class 1-A that were dressed in cheerleading uniforms.

“ _ Looks like Class 1-A is goin’ full-on fanservice! _ ” Ruby’s face flared up brighter than an apple as she tried to hide her face with her pom-poms. She only lowered them when she heard two distinct cackles. She glared at the first one she laid eyes upon and that shocking head of golden blonde hair. It all then clicked.

“Kaminari, you jerk!” Ruby shouted, throwing her pom-poms at him and beaning him in the back of the head as a result. “I trusted you!” It took the other girls a less second to realize what had happened.

“What?! You tricked us?! You’re gonna regret this!” Yaoyorozu yelled. The anger then dissipated as she sighed, dropping to the ground while the boys celebrated. “Why is it that I always end up falling for that little pervert’s stupid schemes? I even used my Quirk to make these outfits…” Ochako patted her on the back to try and make her feel better. Jirou, meanwhile, threw down her pom-poms in disgust.

“I hate those guys!” she spat out, arms firmly crossing themselves over her chest.

“Well, we do have a little time before the finals start, and I kinda like these uniforms, so…” said Hagakure before jumping up and shaking her pom-poms with glee. “How ‘bout we just roll with it!?”

“Are you crazy?!” At least Hagakure looked like she was trying to be optimistic about this whole mess.

“Wow, Toru,” commented Tsuyu, “You’ve got skills.” Ruby simply sighed. At least she is wearing shorts underneath this… Intentional or not, it got the crowd cheering. She was pretty sure that at least one of her upperclassmen friends were laughing about this.

“ _ Have fun competing in these little side games, everyone! _ ” said Present Mic as the board lit up with a blank bracket for the finals. “ _ After they’re over, the sixteen students from the top four teams will be duking it out one-on-one in a tournament-style fighting competition! I promise you’re not gonna wanna miss these epic match ups! _ ”

The kids began to crowd around the stage. Kaminari picked up the pom-poms that were at his feet, walking up to Ruby and tapping her on the shoulder. He thrust them back into her arms before she could even process who it was in the first place. He walked off before she could say anything. Um… what? She frowned a little. It didn’t change what he did. She was still pretty ticked—

A nudge from Mina brought her back to the present.

“So,” she began as Ruby turned to her. “Is it always a tournament?”

Ruby thought about it for a moment. “No, not really,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s always a one-on-one contest, though! They change what the competitors have to do every year. If I’m remembering it right, last year, they had to fight with foam swords.” In this case Ruby would rather have the foam match than a tournament. Midnight called for attention. There was a box in her arms.

“Come closer and draw lots to see who you’re up against. Then enjoy the pleasure of recreational games before we start,” she explained before placing the box by her feet. “The sixteen finalists have the option of participating in those activities or sitting out to prepare for battle. I’m sure you all want to conserve your stamina.” Part of Ruby felt that on a deeper level than most. “I’ll start with the first place team.”

Before that could happen, however, someone raised their hand into the air.

“Um. Excuse me,” said Ojiro, staring at the ground. “Sorry. But I’m withdrawing.” The pom poms in Ruby’s hands almost fell to the ground. Everyone was staring at Ojiro now, and all with looks of confusion.

“Ojiro,” muttered a stunned Midoriya, “No way.”

“But this is a rare chance for you to get scouted,” Iida brought up. Ojiro still didn’t look at him or at anyone else.

He lowered his hand. “It just wouldn’t be right. I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until the very end of it.” Ruby’s eyes went wide. He… What? “I… think it was that guy’s Quirk.” She scanned the crowd. It wasn’t hard to find that shocking purple hair. Just as she locked eyes with Shinsou, he turned away. “I know this is a great opportunity. I wish I could take advantage of it, but my conscience won't let me.”

Wait—

“Whoa, hold on,” Ruby turned back to Ojiro, “Just think about this for a second—!”

“I have, okay?” Ruby took a small step back. “You don’t get it. You gave it your all in round two, but I was just someone’s puppet. No way. I don’t wanna advance if I don’t even know how I got here. It wouldn't be fair.”

“You’re making way too much of this!” said Hagakure, holding her pom poms to her chest. “Just kill it in the finals and prove you should be here.”

“Yeah, what she said,” Mina added. “I didn’t do much in the battle either.”

Ojiro covered his face with his hand. “That’s not it. I’m talking about my pride here. I refuse to give that up. ...Also, why are all the girls dressed like cheerleaders?” Ruby buried her face into her pom-poms again.

“Nirengeki Shoda from Class 1-B,” Ruby lowered them to see the short boy who had also been on her team step out from the crowd of contestants. “I think I should withdraw for the exact same reason. Regardless of how strong I am, this isn’t how I wanted to get here. It would go against the values of the festival to advance without earning my spot.”

A moment of silence hung thick and heavy in the air of the arena. This was… Ruby looked back to Shinsou, who was still avoiding looking at anyone himself. His Quirk… What exactly was it that he did to them…?

“This sort of talk is incredibly naïve, my boys. That turns me on!” Midnight announced, cutting through the air. “Shoda! Ojiro! You’re withdrawn!” Wait, did she just… Ruby shook her head. She wasn’t going to think much about it. Instead, she put her hand on Ojiro’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry,” she said sincerely. “I’ll win this for the both of us.”

With Ojiro and Shoda no longer participating in the tournament, that left two empty spaces on the bracket for the fifth place team. However, the 1-B girls who made it up were frozen most of the time and declined the chance to continue on. Instead, they gave the two spots to a few of the members of Team Tetsutetsu (who honestly would’ve been going on in the first place if it weren’t for Ruby and Shinsou).

And with that, the bracket was filled. Lots were drawn, and the contestants’ names filled the board. Ruby quickly looked for her own. Looked like she was up against Mina in the first round. She caught sight of her opponent smirking out of the corner of her eye.

It then hit her. Ruby swallowed down something in her throat. She was going to have to face her classmates not too long from now. She only kept her fingers crossed she wouldn’t hurt them in the upcoming matches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: While I was writing this arc out, I didn't realize that I completely forgot the scene where Ojiro and Shoda withdrew from the tournament. I didn't realize that I had until I was written chapter twelve, and I'm kind of glad that I caught it before it came time to publish it.
> 
> Also, I apologize for not including the "Are you All Might's secret love child" line. I couldn't find a way to put it in and have it make sense for Ruby to arrive that early in the conversation.
> 
> Also also... Referring to Ruby wanting to know whose faster -- her or Iida -- the answer here is Iida. I did the math with the help of their Quirk Apprehension Test results. Iida’s average speed is 36 mph/51kph. Ruby’s is 30 mph/48 kph. This will be touched upon in the Hero Killer arc.
> 
> Next time!  
> Chapter Eight: Rooting for All Players
> 
> Wait... Shinsou's Quirk lets him do what?!


	8. Rooting For All Players

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first match of the tournament begins with Midoriya vs. Shinsou. A whole lot of questions are answered, and Ruby's pretty sure that she got a friend out of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains teenage boys hitting each other, a bit of blood, slight eavesdropping and bouts of non-consensual brainwashing... honestly, though, I don't think that's the right way to describe his Quirk. It's more like mind control rather than brainwashing...
> 
> I.... really don't have much to say here. Anyway, time to kick off the tournament!

Even though the kids were told to have fun in the recreational games, those who had made it the next round of the festival found it hard to relax. Some of them tried to come up with a strategy against their opponents, while others tried to rest up. They prepped themselves, tried to hype themselves up… Ruby mainly focused on trying to keep herself calm. She was going to have to fight her classmates, as she feared.

She just had to pretend it was like a training session. She wasn’t going to hurt them, it was just like sparring practice. Or even the food fight from a few weeks ago. Yeah, that was it… She let that thought repeat in her mind, and before she knew it, the finals had begun.

Cementoss, another one of the U.A teachers who had the power to control concrete, created the ring for the students to fight on. And then… the first match was ready to start. Ruby listened as Present Mic began to introduce the final event, swinging her legs patiently and waiting for the first two competitors to take the field.

_ The first match…! _

“Rose.” Ruby turned to face one of her classmates. She blinked.

“Hey, Ojiro,” she said as he took a seat behind her. “What’s up?”

“There’s something that I need to ask you,” he said. Ruby raised a brow.

“Uh, sure. Is everything okay?” With how he was acting earlier, Ruby wasn’t sure that the answer was going to be ‘yes’.

“Everything's just fine, but I was thinking about something.” Oh. “Rose, how were you able to escape his Quirk?” Ruby stared at him, a brow raised.

“His Quirk?” she repeated. “Who are you talking about?”

“Him,” Ojiro gestured down below. Midoriya and Shinsou — as the first on the bracket — had both started to take to the field now, determination burning in their eyes.

“Oh, you mean Shinsou?” Ruby asked, getting a nod from Ojiro. “I still don’t know what you’re talking about.” He stared at her.

“You mean he didn't use his Quirk on you?” Ruby could only shrug.

“I don't think so.” She wasn’t even sure what Shinsou’s Quirk  _ was _ .

“ _ Alright, audience! Let’s cut to the good stuff and not delay these finals any longer. Welcome our first fighters, _ ” said Present Mic over the loudspeakers, drawing Ruby's attention away from her conversation. The screen above the crowd proudly displayed images of both Shinsou and Midoriya. “ _ Whoa, he looks kinda scared in that picture, doesn’t he? It’s Izuku Midoriya from the hero course versus… Hitoshi Shinsou from General Studies, who really hasn’t done anything to stand out yet. _

“ _ The rules are simple. Immobilize your opponent or force them outta the ring! You can also win by getting the other person to cry uncle! Bring on the injuries, ‘cause we’ve got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby! So put your morals aside and don’t be afraid to play dirty! But of course, no life-threatening crap, folks. It’s not allowed! Real heroes use their power to throw villains in jail, not kill them. _ ”

Okay, the rules sounded simple enough that Ruby wouldn’t forget them. Besides, it was just common sense to not maim your opponent. This was a school event after all. Down below in the arena, Ruby could see Midoriya trying to both calm himself down and hype himself up. Shinsou was saying something to him, but from her place, Ruby couldn’t quite make it out over the crowd.

“ _ Ready _ ?” The crowd seemed to hold its breath as Present Mic cried out: “ _ Begin! _ ”

The moment he signaled the match to begin Midoriya’s expression… changed. Whatever Shinsou had said to him surprised him at first, and then very quickly, his brows knit together in anger.

“Don’t you talk about Ojiro that way!” Midoriya shouted, starting to rush Shinsou. Then, he suddenly… stopped. It was as if something had clicked in his brain, making his eyes go blank. Shinsou smirked and Ojiro shot up from his seat.

“I warned him not to say anything!” he groaned. Slowly, Iida, Ruby and Ochako stood themselves, absolutely stunned by what was going on.

_ What just happened?! _

“ _ Huh?! Hey, hey, what’s the dealio?! This is the first match! It should start out with a bang! The fight has just begun and Izuku Midoriya is… completely frozen?! He’s not moving a muscle! And what’s with that look on his face? Could this be a Quirk at work? _ ” exclaimed Present Mic, just about as confused as the audience was. “ _ Hitoshi Shinsou seems to have Izuku Midoriya completely stunned! He didn’t stand out in the first rounds at all, but it’s possible Shinsou’s crazy powerful! Who could’ve imagined this turn of events?! That’s the Festival for ya! _ ”

There was an exasperated sigh that the microphone picked up. “ _ This is a perfect example of why the entrance exam isn’t rational, _ ” said Aizawa, possibly unintentionally caught by the microphone.

“ _ Huh? Why’s that? _ ”

“ _ Since we’re on to the individual matches, I had some information compiled about our final competitors. Shinsou failed the practical exam to get into the hero course. Since he also applied for general studies, he probably figured that would happen. His Quirk is incredibly strong, but that entrance test consisted of fighting faux villains. Robots. It gave a huge advantage to those who had physical superpowers they could show off. Despite his abilities, Shinsou never stood a chance at passing. _ ”

His Quirk? If Shinsou’s Quirk was so strong, why didn’t he use it before? Just what was his Quirk?! Much to Ruby’s horror, Shinsou then told Midoriya to walk out of bounds. And he listened to him, walking towards the border. 

“Oh no, Deku,” said Ochako, eyes wide, “what are you doing?!”

“He can’t walk out of the ring!” Iida, said, panicked. “He’ll lose the match if he does!”

“Midoriya!” Ruby shouted to the boy below, “Cut it out!” He wanted to do his best, she had heard him say so himself. Why was he giving up so easily?! She got her answer in the next instant.

“ _ Hitoshi Shinsou! His Quirk: Brainwashing! _ ” said Present Mic, finally answering a question that had been on his student’s mind since the end of the cavalry battle. “ _ When an opponent answers his question, it flips a switch in their minds, forcing them to do whatever he says. Not every question does it, though. He only brainwashes when he wants to. Not very flashy…” _

“Brainwashing?!” Ruby exclaimed, her eyes going wide.  _ That _ was his Quirk?!

“You didn’t know?” said Ojiro, causing Ruby to whirl around to face him. “I thought he tried to brainwash you like he did the rest of the members of his team.” Ruby shook her head. But now that she thought about…. When Shinsou called out to her before the cavalry battle began...

“I mean… I think so? I zoned out a bit when he talked to me... but he flicked my forehead right after because of what I said and I kind of… stopped! I was conscious for the rest of the time!” She looked back down at the match below, worry filling her system. “Come on, Midoriya!” If she could break through it, then certainly so could he.

A familiar crackle of energy began to course its way through Midoriya’s fingers. They moved. WIth his Quirk active the way it was, a burst of air pulsed throughout the arena. And Midoriya’s fingers broke as a result.

And that did the trick. Midoriya stopped in front of the boundary line, gasping and panting like he had just resurfaced after being underwater for too long. Ruby grinned.

“ _ What’s this? Midoriya stopped just in time! _ ” exclaimed Present Mic and the crowd went wild.

“That’s the way to do it!” cheered Iida.

“Whoa,” Ochako sighed with a bright grin, “I was about to freak out!”

Ruby jumped up on her toes, letting out a loud cheer. “Yeah! I knew he could do it!”

Ojiro let out a breath that he had been holding as he dropped back down into his seat. “That just about killed me…”

Shinsou was saying something again, but whatever it was, Ruby couldn’t quite hear. Midoriya covered his mouth with his hand to keep himself from replying and falling victim to Shinsou’s Quirk again. Shaking his head, the boy rushed towards his opponent. 

“You’re lucky to have a heroic Quirk!” Shinsou was shouting now, borderline desperate to get Midoriya to respond to him. “It’ll be so easy for you to reach your goal!” 

It then clicked in Ruby’s mind. All of Shinsou’s actions up until now… Midoriya collided with Shinsou, using all his strength to start to push the general studies kid out of bounds.

“Say something, dammit!” But it was too late, Midoriya knew too well not to do that. In frustration, Shinsou landed a sharp punch dead in Midoriya’s face. Ruby saw a small dribble of blood start to come out of her friend’s nose. Like Shinsou, Midoriya wasn’t the type to give up easily. He kept on pushing his opponent closer and closer to the boundary line.

Shinsou switched the aim of his blows, landing yet another punch to Midoriya’s broken hand. Now that got a reaction. Midoriya cried out in pain, letting go of Shinsou as he stumbled. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” That blow allowed Shinsou to get the upper hand. He grabbed Midoriya, switching positions with him and trying to push him off the stage instead. “Get out of this ring, you lucky brat!”

Just when it felt like Midoriya was about to lose, he grabbed Shinsou’s wrist. While yelling, he managed to loosen Shinsou’s grip enough to counter. He threw Shinsou over his shoulder with what looked like all his strength. That was the deciding move. Midoriya slammed the boy down on the ground… and right over the boundary line.

“Shinsou is out of bounds!” called out Midnight, “Midoriya advances to the next match!” The crowd loudly cheered.

“ _ And with that expertly performed throw, we have our first victor of the finals! _ ” cut in Present Mic’s voice over the noise. “ _ Class 1-A’s Izuku Midoriya! _ ” The crowd cheered again. Ochako plopped down in her seat. 

“Ugh, that was so nerve-wracking!” she said with a sigh.

“Turning the tables at the last moment—” said Iida, just as relieved as Ochako and Ruby were, “a classic Midoriya maneuver!” Ruby chuckled. Well, it was one way to open the final event, alright… She glanced over at the bracket. Her match wouldn’t be for awhile… there was something that she had to do. Kaminari leaned over towards Bakugo.

“He’s pulled that shoulder throw on you before, huh?” he said.

“Shut you damn face, Sparky,” Bakugo snapped back. Ruby began making her way towards the box’s exit.

“ _ Oh, yeah! That was actually kind of a boring first match, kids, _ ” Present Mic said from the commentator’s box.  _ “But both of you fought bravely! Let’s show them some love, everyone! _ “ Ochako looked back at her friend as she passed.

“Ruby,” she asked, “where are you going?”

“Just need to use the bathroom,” Ruby said quickly. It was a lie, but it would have to do for now. “I’ll be right back.” Before she could be asked about it again, Ruby quickly jogged out of the box and into the arena’s halls. She had someone that she needed to talk to.

* * *

Ruby jogged through the halls, hoping to catch him before he returned to his own class. It had to be by some stroke of remarkable luck that she caught up with him as he turned to a corner… even if it did almost result in an unfortunate accident.

“Hey, Shinsou!” Ruby said as the boy took a step back, almost crashing into the girl who came up to him out of nowhere. “You did great!”

“You again…” Shinsou groaned, wringing a hand over the back of his neck. “In case you didn’t notice, I lost.”

“But that doesn’t mean you didn’t put up a good fight. You just need to build up a bit more muscle.” At least that was her own opinion on the matter. Combat was one of the most important parts of getting into the hero course. It was mostly the reason why Ruby trained as long as she did for the entrance exams. “I have a friend in the third year hero course whose a martial arts master, and his Quirk isn't physical, too! He managed to get in through the Sports Festival. I can introduce you if you want.” Shinsou stared at her.

“...why?” Ruby blinked, the smile she had fading away. “Why are you being nice to me? I already told you that I don't want your pity.”

“It's not pity!” Ruby sighed. “...well... I just…” She thought back to what he had to do for the cavalry battle… With a Quirk like that… It must’ve been hard. “You just seem really lonely. Like you need a friend. And strangers are just friends you haven't met yet!”

Shinsou sighed. “That's really naïve.”

“But it's true. You like it. Is that why you didn’t brainwash me again during the cavalry battle? You could’ve, but you didn’t.” Ruby stopped her teasing as the weight of what she just said sunk in. “Wait, why  _ didn’t _ you brainwash me again for the cavalry battle?” Shinsou merely rolled his eyes, stepping around her.

“Such an optimist,” he said, sounding tired.

“His name is Ren, by the way. Lie Ren from class 3-B if you want to talk to him!” Ruby told him, turning on her heel to face Shinsou again. “...And if we’re being honest Shinsou, I think you can be a hero.” Shinsou stopped and glanced back at her over his shoulder. “There are a lot of heroes whose Quirks aren’t physical… or really heroic. Harbinger… My uncle’s an example of that.” 

Shinsou was quiet for a moment before he finally said, “...good luck, shortstack.”

“Not that sh—” Ruby felt a semi-familiar wave of fog rush over her. She stood still, the world around her growing hazy. She heard Shinsou chuckle.

“Like I said. Naïve. Flick your forehead.” Ruby followed through with the order, snapping herself out of her trance. By the time she did, Shinsou was already walking away again.

“Uh… thanks!” she called back as Shinsou disappeared around a corner. Even if that whole thing seemed backhanded, it felt kind of… nice to get to know him… sort of? Maybe they would be friends yet. As Ruby started walking back to the 1-A box, she made a mental note to check in with Ren once the festival was done to see if Shinsou talked to him or not. But for now, she wanted to catch the next few matches before her own started.

“—Regardless of what you saw out there, it was your passion that allowed you to overcome Shinsou’s power,” Ruby slowed her pacing as voices started to echo out from one of the rooms in the quiet hall. That voice just now... “Even if it was only long enough for you to wiggle your fingertips and expel some energy.”

“Man,” she heard Midoriya's voice groan, “that explanation is so not satisfying.” What was he doing here?

“Forget about that! More importantly, shouldn’t you be worrying about who you’re fighting next?” Fighting next?

“Huh? You’re right. Thank you both very much!”

“You’re welcome!” That was Recovery Girl. So this was the—

“Goodbye!” The door to the nurse’s office swug opened and closed. Silence filled the hall as Midoriya, patched up from his fight, stared at Ruby. She held her breath for a moment. He looked… almost panicked.

“Were you…” he asked at long last, breaking the awkward silence between them, “waiting out here for me?”

“No, just passing by,” said Ruby with a shake of her head. “How’s your hand?” Midoriya looked down at his hand, where his two previously broken fingers were bandaged.

“Uh, it’s fine.” He still seemed flustered. “You… Y-You didn’t hear anything, did you?”

“Nothing really. I just was walking.” Midoriya then sighed, looking relieved. That was… strange. Why’d he ask that? Was there something important that they were talking about there? At least Ruby didn’t overhear  _ that _ . Who knew what kind of trouble it would cause? “Congrats on your win, by the way! You really had us all on the edge of our seats there.”

“Thanks!” The pair walked back to their box together, chatting away about Midoriya’s match with Shinsou.

“There you are, Deku!” said Ochako when she saw the two walking down towards their seats. “You did good!” Midoriya grinned, turning a bit pink.

“Come on down here—” added Iida, waving from the pair to come closer, “we saved a seat for you!”

“Ha! Thanks, guys!” Midoriya seemed to be happy that the group managed to score seats in the front row. Just as he and Ruby sat back down, the next match of the third round began.

“ _ He’s got skills! But at the expense of some really creepy-looking elbows. From the hero course, it’s Hanta Sero! _ ” shouted Present Mic as the next two competitors took the field — Ruby’s own fellow classmates from 1-A. “ _ Versus, an early frontrunner in the competition who’s way too strong for his own good! Someone who rightfully got into the hero course based on recommendations! It’s Shouto Todoroki! And now, for the second match of the finals. Ready?! Begin! _ ”

Sero acted quicker than Todoroki could react. He shot tape out at Todoroki, with the sticky substance wrapping around him. Now that he was secure, Sero began to fling his classmate towards the boundary line.

“ _ That attack could throw his opponent out of bounds! A brilliant, surprise opening from the underdog! Way to start off strong, Sero! _ ” Before Sero could get his opponent over the border, Todoroki managed to touch the ground. Ice burst out from his foot, quickly making its way towards Sero. The resulting explosion of ice not only froze him, but shook the entire arena. The ice froze half of the festival as well.

_ Holy crap! _ Ruby knew that Todoroki was powerful but this…!

“Sero has been immobilized!” Midnight called. “Todoroki advances to the second round _! _ ” There was a moment of silence that fell in the arena. In an attempt to make Sero feel better about his overwhelming defeat, the crowd started chanting “nice try”. Todoroki took a step forward, pressing his left hand to the ice and heating it up. Ruby heard a certain someone muttering to themselves from beside her.

She glanced over at Midoriya. As he watched Todoroki taking a moment to melt Sero free from the ice, his face was showing nothing but concern.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Shinsou, so I can assure you that this isn't the last we'll hear of him in this fic. He'll come up a bit more than he does in canon, at the very least. I'm weak towards my favorite characters, and Hitoshi Shinsou isn't an exception.
> 
> Next time!  
> Chapter Nine: Keep on Fighting, Kids!
> 
> It's Ruby vs. Mina!


	9. Keep On Fighting, Kids!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first bracket of the third round continues. Ruby gets a chance to show off her stuff in her fight against Mina. Hopefully her nerves don't get the better of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains teenagers fighting each other and embarrassment of the Hatsume kind. Oh, and some acidic destruction.
> 
> We've reached over 1,000 views on this story and we're barely at the halfway point! I'm really happy that so many of you guys seem to be enjoying this. Thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> It's Ruby's first fight of the Sports Festival! Let's go!

The crowd loudly cheered as the ice from Todoroki’s fight was finally cleared away. It was time for the finals to continue on. And like last time, one of Ruby’s friends took the ring to show off their stuff.

“ _ Even beautiful flowers have thorns. It’s the assassin from Class 1-B, Ibara Shiozaki from the hero course! _ ” said Present Mic as the next two contestants took the field — one of them being a girl who had incredibly long vines for hair, and the other... “ _ Versus the boy with the electric personality! Another hero in the making, Denki Kaminari! _ ” The crowd cheered. “ _ Keep those eyes peeled! I wanna see a super flashy battle this time! _ ”

With Kaminari in the ring, it was sure to be—!

“Excuse me!” called out the girl, Shiozaki, before Present Mic could begin the match. “Please pardon the interruption. I’m not sure why you called me an assassin. I’ve come to the festival in search of victory, not to take my opponent’s life. That wouldn’t be in line with the values or a hero at all, sir.”

“ _ Right. I’m sorry. _ ” Shiozaki then turned to the crowd.

“Gentlemen, I didn’t enter U.A. for wicked or selfish reasons,” at that moment the sunlight seemed to hit her just right, making it look like she was glowing, “but to deliver salvation to others! It is my humble quest to spread true good across this world.”

“ _ Listen, I said I was sorry! That was my bad, okay? _ ”

“I thank you for your kind understanding,” said the vine girl with a short bow.

“So, anyway. Begin!” Ruby leaned forward as the match began, her eyes on the girl. That was… kind of impressive to outright say her interactions like that. And besides… she was kind of cute, too. Kaminari immediately stared building up electricity, sparks flying off his skin as he smirked.

“‘Cause this is all gonna be over in two seconds, honey,” said the blonde, confident that he was going to win this. “Indiscriminate Shock… 1.3 MILLION VOLTS!” He discharged, sending a massive wave of electricity all around the stage and towards his opponent.

Shiozaki simply turned her back on Kaminari. Her vines grew to an exponential length before breaking off from her head. She created a shield of vine in order to protect herself from Kaminari’s shocking attack. And unfortunately, Kaminari fell victim to the side effect of his Quirk: if he used too much electricity it would sort of… temporarily fry his brain.

And that was the thing that sealed his fate. Shiozaki’s vines, despite being disconnected from her, kept on growing. They buried themselves underneath the stage before exploding out right under where Kaminari stood. They immediately wrapped tightly around him, hanging him high up enough so that he couldn’t touch the stage. Ruby winced as the match was called. That was really quick.

“ _ He’s immobilized! _ ” cried out Present Mic as the crowd cheered. “ _ That’s all, folks! It was over in an instant! _ ”

“Oh yeah!” shouted someone over the partition the divided the two hero course classes. “Way to represent Class 1-B!”

“Man, she’s good,” commented Jirou.

“Nice try, Kaminari!” Ruby shouted to her classmate below as he was taken away on a stretcher following Shiozaki putting him down.

_ I can’t tell if this is karma for earlier or just a bad match-up… or both.  _ Ruby leaned forward in her seat.  _ Still, I can't help but feel bad for Kaminari…  _ She couldn't help but smirk and bite back a giggle.  _ Heh,  _ Karma _ nari... _

“Guess he was right. That match really was over in just two seconds.” Ruby looked up. A blonde haired boy was leaning over the partition that divides the 1-A box from Class 1-B’s. She didn't like the smirk he was wearing. “I wonder if his real Quirk is the ability to tell the future. Hey! Wasn’t Class 1-A supposed to be so much better than us?” The boy then laughed until a familiar looking face came up from behind him. A girl landed a simple blow to the back of his neck, which was enough to render her classmate unconscious.

“Sorry ‘bout him,” she said, dragging her out-cold classmate away from the partition.

_ Rude…!  _ Ruby blinked. Her frustration melted away the second she saw who had come to 1-A’s rescue. She got up out of her seat and jogged over to the partition.

“Wait!” The girl looked back as Ruby called out to her. “You’re the girl who took my team’s headband, right? During the cavalry battle.”

“Huh?” The girl put her classmate down before turning back towards Ruby. She stared at her for a moment before: “Right, you were one of the horses for that purple guy's team. Sorry about your headband.”

“No! It’s fine, I mean that was kind of that point. It's just…” Ruby leaned up against the divide, stepping on her toes to do so. “You look a lot like someone that I met during the entrance exam. I wanted to know if you’re the same person. My hoodie got stuck under some debris.”

The girl’s eyes lit up with recognition. “...Oh yeah. You’re the girl with the speed Quirk.” Ruby nodded. “Thanks again for helping me out there.”

“It’s no problem! You saved my butt, so I saved yours. It only seemed fair,” said Ruby. “And I’m really happy you got into the U.A., too! But uh… I never got your name. I’ve been wondering what it was for a while.” The girl grinned.

“Itsuka Kendou.” Alright, finally a name to match the face! “And you’re… Ruby Rose, right?”

“Yup! That’s me!” Ruby firmly nodded. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Kendou. Huh?” Something down in the arena caught Ruby’s eye. Both she and Kendou stared at the next competitor from 1-A — Iida, who was… well… wearing support gear that wasn’t with him before. And Midnight had the same expression she wore when she took care of the food fight punishment.

“Hero course students can’t use support gear unless they have to,” she said sternly. “And you didn’t fill out any of the proper paperwork for that.”

Iida seemed stunned for a moment. “I apologize, ma’am. It’s just that, my heart was moved by my opponent’s sportsmanship,” he explained, mostly likely digging in his class rep side to help him out with this, “Even though she’s from the support course, she wanted this to be as even a match as possible since she made it this far. To have a fair fight! So, she offered to give me this equipment. I respect her integrity. That’s why, to honor her, I would like to wear this gear!”

There was a moment as Midnight mulled it over. “Such youthful vigor!” She giggled before slipping back a bit too easily into a more serious persona. “I’ll allow it!” While the commentators for the event seemed stunned by Midnight’s agreement to this, Ruby simply found herself staring at who Iida’s opponent was.

_ Isn’t that the pink-haired girl who was on Midoriya’s team…? What’s she doing…? _ The girl giggled, adjusting something that was attached to the weird-looking set of goggles she wore.

“ _ Well, if everyone’s on the same page, _ ” said Present Mic, still sounding a bit confused despite his usual upbeat tone, “ _ let’s begin the fourth match! _ ” The crowd cheered. Iida aced first, rushing towards his opponent with a burst of speed. The girl simply grinned, pressing a button on the side of her headgear. 

“Bet you love how fast that gear makes you! Huh, Iida?” she said, her voice echoing through the stadium. Ruby blinked. Was… Was she wearing speakers?

“ _ Don’t your legs feel lighter than usual? That’s to be expected. I designed those leg parts specifically to increase the wearer’s speed and mobility. But of course… _ ” the girl cackled. Before Iida had the chance to even get close to her, her support items kicked in. Two poles shot out from the sides of her backpack, pushing her out of Iida’s way… though Iida couldn’t dodge the supports himself. He let out a yelp as he tripped over them. “ _ I can easily evade you with my hydraulic attachments! _ ”

Iida got back on his feet as she came back down to the ground. She seemed so wrapped up in her little speech that she didn’t notice Iida rushing towards her. Or perhaps she didn’t need to. The second Iida got close to her, her gear activated again, the poles pushing her back up and out of the way.

“ _ Since I’ve got sensors in every direction, it’s impossible for an opponent to sneak up on me _ !” said the girl. Iida yelped as he tripped over her attachments again. Whatever contraption he was wearing on his back caught him before he could fall, getting him back upright and running towards his opponent.

“ _ Look at how adeptly Iida just changed his course! _ ” continued the support course girl. “ _ It’s all thanks to the ingenious auto-balancer I created. _ ” All Ruby could think of to do was stare.

“This is…” she slowly said, her mind still trying to wrap itself around what was going on, “really weird.”

“Is she using the tournament to promote herself…?” said Kendou, sounding about as confused as Ruby.

“I think so?” That’s what it seemed like anyway. She knew from earlier that the support course had the chance to show off what they made to investors but… this girl seemed to be taking that to a whole new level.

“ _ There’s absolutely no lag time! _ ” continued pink-haired girl down below, only really succeeding in frustrating Iida. She avoided him again with ease. And he once again tripped with ease, the gear he was wearing sending him spinning. “ _ The autobalancer is equipped with a custom thirty-two axis gyro sensor! As you can see, it can keep the user from falling unless they actually want to. _ ”

Once Iida found his balance again, he dashed at her once more, looking ever more frustrated. The girl evaded with ease, pushing off the ground and into the air with a cackle.

“ _ That’s right, I’m practically flying through the air! These electro shoes use electromagnetic induction on both feet. They’re perfect for evasive maneuvers or just keeping things light! _ ” As the girl landed, Iida took his chance to try and knock her out again. However, like before, the support course student had a trick up her sleeve. She whipped out a small gun, which was then used to fire a net at Iida. He was unable to stop in time, and only succeeded in getting tangled up in it.

“ _ A capture gun to use against villains! The nets are loaded into small cartridges. You can fire up to five before having to reload! And all of these items were developed by yours truly: Mei Hatsume, support course prodigy! So, to any support companies out there looking for strong new recruits, the choice is clear. You want me! Again, I’m Mei Hatsume, that’s H-A-T-S-U-M-E. And now, let me introduce you to a few more of my babies! _ ” Iida threw off the net, and the cycle repeated. Ruby sighed. This was a bit painful to watch.

“This might go on for a while…” said Kendou with a sigh before turning to the girl from 1-A. “Hey, isn’t your match up next?” Ruby blinked, drawing her attention away from the match long enough to look up at the tournament bracket. Crap, Kendou was right. Her fight with Mina was after Iida’s and Hatsume’s. “You should probably go get ready.”

“Right,” Ruby replied with a short nod. It seemed like the best idea. “Thanks, Kendou!”

“Good luck!” Ruby flashed her a smile before disappearing back into the stadium to prepare for her own match.

* * *

Ten minutes. It took ten minutes for Iida’s match to finish. And all the while, it was spent with Hatsume showing off all the gadgets she had made, accidentally somehow embarrassing Iida with each one. Eventually, probably feeling that she had accomplished her goal, the support course student stepped out of bounds, giving her win over Iida. ...considering what happened, though, could it even be called a win?

It didn't really matter. At least not right now. As Ruby made her way out towards the stage, she felt nerves twist and not up in her stomach. This was just like training, she had to keep repeating to herself. It was just like a training session where everyone was watching and her potential hero career was on the line…. no pressure.

“ _ We’re gonna charge right on along to the fifth match, _ ” Present Mic’s voice echoed in Ruby's ears as she drew in a deep breath. Here it went nothing… She walked out onto the stage.  _ “Let’s hope those rose petals that she leaves behind serve some kinda purpose. It’s Ruby Rose from the hero course! Versus… Is there some kinda purpose for those things sticking out of her head? From the same class, Mina Ashido! _ ”

“This match is gonna be a piece a’ cake,” said Mina, smirking and confident.

“You’ll be eating those words!” Ruby fired back at her. She thought about her training with Yang. She thought about what Ochako told her at the beginning of the festival. Ruby just had to treat it like it’s training, and she’ll be fine. She wasn’t not going to hurt Mina. All she had to do was knock her out of the ring: easy as pie.

“ _ Now, let’s get started! _ ” Ruby bit down on her lip... “ _ Fifth match… begin! _ ”

Immediately, Ruby ran forward. She just had to do it. She lunged at Mina, only for the pink girl to throw a handful of acid in Ruby’s direction. Ruby yelped, spinning on her heels as Mina launched more acid at her. It missed, hitting the stage inside. Still, the blobs remained in small puddles as it ate away at the ground. If Mina kept aiming the way she was, there’s the possiblity that Ruby would slip on her acid, much like she did with Todoroki’s ice earlier.

Ruby let out another yelp as she dodged yet another acidic blob. She bit down on her lip as she drew closer to Mina. Taking the risk, Ruby shut her eyes, swung her leg and threw a kick at her classmate. With a smirk, Mina threw up her arm. Instead of hitting her face like Ruby intended, all she struck was Ashido’s forearm. Mina smirked.

“ _ She blocked it! _ ”

“Nice try, Rose!” said Ashido. “But I paid attention during training! You always go for the face!”

“I do not!” Ruby pushed away from her opponent. She yelped again, jumping back even further as Mina threw a few more acidic blobs at her. Ashido slid on her acid, allowing her to pick up some speed and rush Ruby. Ruby, however, used her own Quirk to get out of the way of any sort of collision. Mina slid to a halt, with her opponent only a few feet away from her.

Ruby took a few steps back, trying to put as much space between her and Mina as possible without stepping out of bounds. She needed to think of a foolproof plan to beat Mina. Until then… Ruby swallowed something down in her throat. Until then, she just had to wear Mina out and try not to get hit with any acid. That was easier said then done, especially since Mina kept aiming at her feet.

Ruby dashed forward, letting a bit of her Quirk give her a helpful speed boost. She danced around Mina, trying her best to land small blows that would just disorient her. Mina blocked every single one of them. However, the more Ruby pressed her like this, the more steps Mina had to take to try and get away. Ruby smirked. Her Quirk was letting her dodge the acid Mina was using against her, and at this rate, her opponent was going to step out of bounds. She might just win this after all.

Then Mina actually hit Ruby’s feet.

Ruby rushed back in a flurry of petals, skidding on the goop and wincing as the acid destroyed her shoes. She quickly regained her balance as Mina rushed forward and knocked her back even further with a body slam. At this rate, she might just win this by knocking Ruby out. Ruby’s shoes were designed in a way to handle the friction she created while running. While her body would be able to handle the backlash of it, it wouldn’t be able to handle the backlash from Mina’s acid.

“I saw you slide in after the obstacle course, too!” Ruby heard Mina shout, making her head snap up. “You can’t run on slippery slopes! Or my acid!” So this  _ was _ her plan.

Well, Ruby wasn't going to let that happen. She used her Quirk to help her get a bit more height as she jumped towards Ashido. She spun, trying to land a kick on her opponent, who blocked it with her arm. Ruby grimace. Okay, maybe that could’ve gone better. She pushed off of Mina’s arm, jumping back to the other side. As she landed, Ashido rushed her again. Ruby swung, but Mina simply jumped over her leg.

“Whaaat!?” Ruby cried out in surprise. Oh come on! Mina winked at her with a chuckle. She was having fun with this. 

Mina came sliding back towards her opponent, landing a heavy punch to Ruby’s forearm. She attempted to grab her wrist next, most likely to try and slam her into the ground, but Ruby was too fast. She dodged with the help of her Quirk, leaving Mina with only a handful of rose petals. At this point, the ground was filled with acid puddles and resembled a mountain’s terrain with how much Mina’s attacks had eaten away at it. Ruby spun on her heel, dodging another acidic blob from Mina. Okay, time for a new plan.

Ruby launched herself at Mina. While slippery surfaces put her at a disadvantage, they could also be quite useful if she was careful about them. And her shoes were already wrecked. As long as she was careful… Ruby took advantage of the acid that Mina left on the ground, using it as a way to help her speed up without having to use her Quirk. Mina grinned as Ruby came towards her, probably thinking that her plan was going to work and she was going to slide out of bounds.

“And now for my finishing move!” Mina said with a smirk. “An upper—!” She went to upper cut Ruby, but at the last minute, the girl ducked. Mina was sent stumbling forward and was left open for Ruby to kick her. Mina slid on her own acid and, despite her best effort to stop, slid right over the border.

“Ashido is out of bounds!” called out Midnight, throwing her arm up in her arm. “The winner of this match is Rose!” Ruby froze. She blinked.

“I…” she said, not sure if she heard Midnight right at all. “I did it?”

“ _ Dang, both of these ladies went hard! _ ” exclaimed Present Mic over the sound system, making Ruby jump. “ _ But, that’s an indisputable victory if I’ve ever seen one, sports fans! There’s no doubt that this little flower can pack a punch! Or rather, a kick. It might’ve been rough there, but—! _ ” There was a slap that got picked up by the microphone.

“ _ You’re playing favorites, knock it off— _ ” Ruby caught Mr. Aizawa say before a bit of static cut off the commenters. But what she heard was enough. A shaky smile formed on her face.

“I DID IT!” Ruby cried leaping up into the air, letting the feeling of sweet victory wash over her as the crowd cheered.

“Congrats, Rose!” Ruby came down from her high as Mina extended out a hand to her.

“You were really good, Mina!” Ruby shook her classmate’s hand, her smile relaxing a little. “Sorry that I knocked you out.”

“Eh, don’t sweat it! All’s fair in love and war,” Mina told her. “Just make sure you win this, okay?” Ruby responded with a firm nod.

* * *

Ruby could hear Present Mic announce the next match between Yaoyorozu and Tokoyami as she and Mina made their way back to the 1-A box following their own fight. The girls were chattering excitedly, swapping ideas on who would win the next match until someone entering the hall caught Ruby’s eye.

“Hey, Iida!” Ruby called out as the 1-A rep turned the corner and into view. Iida turned to them as the girls walked up to him.

“Hm?” Iida seemed to relax a little upon spotting the two of them. “Ashido, Rose. Did you two just finish?”

“You bet! And…” said Mina, trying to stifle a giggle. “Congrats on your win, Iida… You really—” she snickered— “put up a great fight!

“Thanks, I—” Iida turned red as he processed Mina’s words. “Ashido!” Mina snickered again.

“See ya in the stands!” She rushed off, still laughing to herself all the while. Iida sighed, obviously disappointed in how his first match played out. Ruby couldn’t blame him for feeling that way, especially considering what had happened. She patted his arm.

“If it makes you feel better, Iida,” she said, “I think you did really well.” At least from what she saw. He tried his best. His opponent just… Ruby couldn’t find a way to make it sound any better than it actually was. Iida groaned.

“I let her trick me and make a fool out of me… all for the sake of advertisement!”

“It could be worse. You could’ve lost.”

“Yes, but… my brother’s watching me.” Iida’s brother…? Oh, right. Iida came from a hero family, too. His older brother was the Turbo Hero, Ingenium. He was an incredibly popular hero and Iida’s main role model. He looked up to him just about as much as Ruby looked up to her uncle. “I have to make him proud.”

“I’m sure that he’s already proud of you,” Ruby said.

“I hope that’s true…” Iida sighed. “What do you think of the—?”

Iida was cut off by a shout from the loudspeakers. “ _ Yikes! Another fast, overwhelming victory! Is it possible that Tokoyami’s Dark Shadow is the greatest Quirk ever? I think so! _ ” Their match was over already? By the sound of it, Tokoyami had won. “ _ Okay, let’s see who we’ve got for ya next. The seventh match-up included two completely redundant Quirks! One of them’s a passionate, manly fighter made of steel. The hero course’s Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! Versus… a passionate, manly fighter made of rock! The hero course’s Eijirou Kirishima! Can’t wait to see how this one ends! _ ”

“Looks like your next match is against Tokoyami,” said Iida. Oh yeah, there was that, too.

“Yeah…” Ruby sighed. “I had my strategy built up around facing Yaoyorozu… Tokoyami is insanely powerful!” At least what she had seen in training it was. ...and with how quickly his fight with Momo had been, there’s no doubt that it was strong.

“i’m sure you’ll figure something out.” Iida glanced downwards. “...and perhaps find a new pair of shoes in the process.” Ruby looked down at her wrecked sneakers. Mina had apologized for damaging them, and even offered to replace them. But it was unnecessary. Ruby began to toe off what was left of the acid-eaten pair.

“I have a spare pair in the waiting room. I thought this would happen, so…” Ruby picked them up. Actually, Weiss had thought this would happen after finding out about the Quirks of Ruby’s classmates. She insisted that the younger brought a pair of spare shoes with her that day, and even snuck them into her bag that morning when she met her, Yang and Jaune at the gate. How she did that, Ruby still had yet to figure out. All she knew was that they were already there when homeroom started.

As the next fight continued on, Ruby and Iida made their way to 1-A’s waiting room, where Ruby had stashed her spare pair earlier that day. However, to their surprise, someone was already waiting when they got there.

Ochako sat at one of the tables, only looking up when she heard the door open. “Hey, you guys. You did great out there.”

“Oh, Urara— Whoa, what’s with that face?” Ruby nudged Iida as soon as it came out of his mouth. When they walked in, Ochako had a look on her face that made it look like she was constipated or something. Pointing it out wasn’t the best thing to do.

“My face?” Ochako relaxed — or at least forced herself to do so — immediately. “Oh! It’s nothing! I guess I’m not great at hiding how nervous I am.”

“I mean, you are up against Bakugo. He’s… He’s not the easiest person to beat in a fight,” said Ruby, thinking back briefly to how hard she saw Bakugo go during their fight at the USJ. How fast his reflexes were… they were insane. Ochako groaned. ...whoops. Ruby sighed. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, I’m kinda scared. But you know, after seeing Iida’s match, I feel a little better.”

“What's that supposed to mean?” said Iida, a bit flustered. Ruby bit back a giggle as she walked over towards the locker where she stored her things, tossing the destroyed shoes in the trash as she did so. As soon as she got her locker open, the door to the waiting room opened as well. Midoriya entered, holding a charred notebook close to his chest.

“Deku!” Ochako said in surprise. “Why aren’t you out there watching the matches?”

"Well, most of them ended how I expected them to," Midoriya explained as he shut the door behind him, "And it’s looking like Kirishima’s fight’s going to drag on for quite a while."

Ruby looked up from her locker, “Isn’t he up against that steel guy from 1-B? Uh…” Why was she drawing a blank? Ruby thought hard about it as she took out her spare sneakers. Shinsou had taken his headband, right? That was… “Oh! Tetsutetsu!” Fortunately, Midoriya nodded.

Ochako swallowed down something thick in her throat. “...I’m next. So this is it. My fight.” She was staring at the table, not meeting either one of her friends’ gazes.

“It’ll be okay!” said Iida, trying to reassure her. “I don’t think Bakugo would use the full power of his explosions on a girl, right?” Ruby dropped to the ground.

“I think he would,” she said, not really thinking about it as she pulled on her backups. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Midoriya nodding. And then Ochako whimpered. Okay… Probably not the best thing to say… Ruby popped back up. “Sorry!”

“Everyone’s trying to get to the top spot in these games. Even if she wasn’t fighting Kacchan, I don’t think anyone would hold back,” Midoriya said. “You’ve helped me so much. It’s my turn to help you. Maybe I can repay you a little bit with this.” When Ruby stood up again, the boy was holding out his notebook to her. “I’ve got a plan for how you can use your Quirk against Kacchan. It’s not much, but I did my best.”

“Hey! Well, alright!” said Iida with a relieved grin. “This is perfect!” It really was. Midoriya probably knew Bakugo’s Quirk better than he did his own… and Bakugo better than anyone else in the class.

“Thank you so much for doing that,” said Ochako, “But, no. Sorry.” Her friends stared at her.

“What?”

“You’re turning this down?” said Ruby, confused, “But Midoriya knows Bakugo best. His plan could really he—”

“I know, but…” Ochako sighed, turning to the green-haired boy. “You’re wonderful, Deku. I keep seeing that over and over again. During the cavalry battle, I told you it was a good idea to team up with friends. But now that I think about it, I might’ve been trying to rely on you to get by. That’s why when Iida said that he was trying his best to beat you, I actually felt kind of embarrassed for myself.” She stood, not looking any one of them in the eye.

“Uraraka…” Midoriya said, sounding sad as Ochako walked towards the door, still focusing her gaze on the ground.

“So it’s fine. Really. Everyone’s facing their future and giving this their best. That means we’re all rivals. Even you and me, Deku. So…” She turned back, determined and gave him a thumbs-up to try and assure him that everything was fine. “Guess I’ll see you in the finals.”

Silence fell as Ochako left the room. Ruby sighed, crossing over to join the two boys. “...Is she really going to be okay?”

“We’ll have to wait and see,” said Iida. She really didn’t want to wait. “Come on. Her match is about to start. We don’t want to miss it.” Ruby nodded. She and Iida quietly made their way out of the room. With one last look down at his notebook, Midoriya followed after them.

None of them were expecting what would happen down in the arena to actually happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if Ruby's fight with Mina didn't meet expectations. Out of all her tournament fights, I think the first one is the most... lackluster? I can't think of another word besides that.
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Ten: Meteor Strike
> 
> Things will be blown up.


	10. Meteor Strike

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ochako faces off against Bakugo in the ring. Ruby keeps her fingers crossed that her friend is able to beat the explosive hothead. Not all goes according to plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains teenagers fighting, explosions via Bakugo, and people being protective of others. Oh, and Ruby almost fights a Pro Hero.
> 
> The final fight of the first bracket! Let's get into it, it's Uraraka vs. Bakugo!

Kirishima and Tetsutetsu’s match was extremely drawn out. With their Quirks being so similar, it was like the two boys were on such an even level that they couldn’t beat each other. Their fight ended with both boys being KO’d, resulting in a tie.

They would have to settle it with an arm wrestling competition later. While the two hardheads recovered from their fight, it was time to move onto the next match. Ruby dug her nails into the edge of her seat. She knew how Bakugo fought. She could pretty much guess that he wasn’t going to let Ochako win that easily. Or at least go easy on her, just as the rest of the class had done beforehand when competing in their matches.

Ruby bit down on her lip as Ochako and Bakugo both walked out onto the field.

_You got this Ochako…!_

“ _The eighth and final match of the first round of matches. He was kind of a hot shot in middle school, and just look at the determined face!_ ” said Present Mic, garnering cheers from the crowd, “ _From the hero course, Katsuki Bakugo! Versus… The one I’m personally rooting for, also from Class 1-A, Ochako Uraraka!_ ” Ochako took a deep breath, and Ruby held her own. She got this. She had this. She could do this.

“Midoriya.” Midoriya glanced over at Iida. “I’m curious. What was that strategy you came up with that would give Uraraka an advantage against Bakugo?”

Midoriya looked down at the notebook in his lap. “Honestly, it wasn’t really much of a plan. Kacchan’s so strong,” he said, “When it comes to close combat, he almost never has any openings. And the more he moves, the more he sweats, which just makes his Quirk more powerful. He’s gotten really good at using his explosions to move around in the air. But if Uraraka is able to touch him, she can use her Quirk to make him float.”

It clicked for Ruby. “She could easily send him out of bounds!” Midoriya nodded.

“Yeah. That’s why it’s obvious what Uraraka needs to do to get the upper hand.”

“ _Let the eighth match… begin!_ ”

“She has to strike first!” said Ruby, picking up where Midoriya had left off. As soon as she was given the signal to begin, Ochako immediately rushed towards Bakugo, keeping herself low to the ground.

“Wow, look at her go!” said Midoriya, awestruck, “That’s a good start, and all she has to do is touch him one time!”

“That’s not gonna be easy,” Ruby mused out loud. “You and I both know that Bakugo rarely lets anyone get close to him in combat. If he knows what Ochako needs to do to win, then that rule goes double for her.”

“Which is why he won’t dodge. He’ll focus his energy on counterattacking.” And Midoriya proved to be right. When Ochako got close enough, Bakugo threw a right-handed explosion at her. He, much like she, kept low to the ground as she tried to dodge. Her friends shouted her name as Ochako went flying back.

“He blasted her,” said Mineta, horrified.

“Looks like Bakugo’s not planning on showing her any mercy,” said Tsuyu, worried. For the most part, Ochako has been far enough away for it not to injure her. Through the dust cloud that was made, Bakugo let out another explosion, trying to pin Ochako down. However, as the dust cleared, it was revealed to all that the only thing Bakugo got a hold of was Ochako’s jacket.

“Yes!” Ruby cried out with a wide grin.

“ _Whoa! She flew her jacket over as a decoy! What incredibly quick thinking!_ ” Ochako moved swiftly, getting behind Bakugo and ready to use her Quirk on him. But Bakugo’s reflexes got the better of her. He reacted quickly, turning on his heel and blasting Ochako away from him. She rolled across the stage, landing safely on her feet before she could fall out of bounds.

“Look at that reaction time!” said Sero in awe.

“Seriously, the dude’s insane,” Kaminari said, sounding stunned. “You can’t get the drop on him. And since Uraraka can’t use her Quirk unless she touches him, his lightning-fast reflexes put her at a huge disadvantage!”

Ochako only rushed Bakugo again. He blasted her back, tearing up the ground underneath them as he did so. With the smoke acting as a cover, Ochako rushed behind him. Bakugo’s reflexes got the better of her, as he blasted her again, tearing up even more of the ground. It was by now that the backlash was starting to take its toll on her.

“Is she okay?” asked Tsuyu.

”I can’t watch this,” said Jirou, her hands over her ears.

“Like I always suspected, Bakugo’s a total sadist,” Ruby heard Mineta chime in. 

Ochako was continuing to rush Bakugo again and again. All he could do was repel her with repeated explosions. He had to do whatever he could to keep her from touching him if he wanted to move on. But still… the whole thing was… It was painful to watch.

“ _Looks like she’s not resting between attacks despite being exploded. The poor girl,_ ” said Present Mic, probably wincing as Ochako was once again exploded by Bakugo.

“Uraraka…!” Midoriya wasn’t even trying to hide his concern. Another rush and another explosion. Ochako was on her hands and knees now, panting heavily. But still. She got back up and rushed again, only to be met with another explosion from Bakugo.

“Oh no…” Ruby muttered, her words somewhat muffled by the hand she had over her mouth. How much more of this could Ochako take?

“This is shameful!” Ruby perked up as the voice of an audience member cut loud over the others’. “Listen kid, you really wanna be a hero?! Then stop acting like a bully! If you’re so good, just send her out of bounds!” But Bakugo didn’t. When Ochako rushed him again, he just blew her back, just as he had been doing before. “Stop toying with the girl and end this match!”

“Yeah, you heard the guy!” shouted another audience member. One by one, some of the heroes that were in the crowd started to boo. Ruby frowned.

_I get Bakugo isn’t the best guy, but saying this is taking it a little too far…_

“ _The crowd is now booing Bakugo!_ ” cried out Present Mic. “ _And honestly, I kinda agree with what they’re sayin—_ '' There was a loud and sharp smack inside that commentator’s box that the microphones picked up. “ _Hey, whoa— What the crap?!_ ”

“ _Where is the man who started this uproar?_ ” echoed Mr. Aizawa’s voice over the speakers. The booing started to quiet down. Ruby had come to know that tone her teacher was speaking in right now. But now… now it seemed intensified in a way. Which meant one thing: Mr. Aizawa was _pissed_ . “ _Are you a Pro? Because if you’re being serious, you can go home and hang up your cape. I’d suggest looking into another career._ ” 

Midoriya nudged the girl sitting beside him. “You know what he’s talking about?” It took Ruby about a minute to figure it out.

“I think I have an idea.” Mr. Aizawa cared more about his students than he was given credit for… at least, that was Ruby’s theory at the moment. She had only his words just now and what he had done at the USJ to support it.

 _“Bakugo’s fierceness is an acknowledgement of his opponent’s strength_ ,” Mr. Aizawa continued. “ _He knows she deserves to have made it this far, so he’s making sure he does whatever it takes to keep her at bay and come out on top_.”

...and that probably just made her theory stronger. Down below, both Bakugo and Ochako had stopped fighting. They stood on opposite ends of the stage, with Ochako smirking and Bakugo looking skyward. It was only when she looked up herself did Ruby realize why.

During the entire fight, Ochako had kept low to the ground when she rushe Bakugo, which meant that every time he blew her up, he had torn up the floor of the stage in the process. Her repeated attacks _were_ a strategy. They kept both Bakugo’s and the audience's eyes off of what she had been really doing.

She had been touching the debris Bakugo created. Several dozen pieces of jagged concrete were floating high above the stage. Ochako touched her fingertips together. Her meteor shower came shooting back down to the ground.

Midoriya gasped, standing straight up out of his seat. “Hey, she had a plan all along!” Ochako rushed towards Bakugo as the debris came rocketing back to Earth, moving as fast as she possibly could.

“Yes!” Ruby cheered, silver eyes sparkling. With as much excitement that was running through her system now, Ruby failed to notice Bakugo raising his hand to the sky, holding onto his wrist. Ochako used her Quirk on herself in an attempt to make herself faster. “With this much debris, it doesn’t matter what Bakugo’s gonna do! Ochako’s going to have an opening, no matter what!” Ochako reached out her hand to touch him— “She’s going to—!”

Boom _._

Bakugo let out a massive explosion, blowing away both Ochako and her meteor show in one go. Ruby’s eyes went wide.

_Did he just…?!_

“ _Bakugo bangs out a huge demonstration of power!_ ” said Present Mic, confirming Ruby’s fear with a gasp. “ _He blasted apart Uraraka’s finishing move and remains untouched!_ ”

Ochako stood up, shaking on her legs as she did so. She was struggling, that much was obvious. He had probably bet everything on that meteor shower. And now… she didn’t have an ounce of energy left.

“ _Uraraka_!” Bakugo shouted, like a fire had been lit underneath him. He rushed towards Ochako, palms bared. However, when she went to meet him, Bakugo’s movements suddenly slowed. That fire was put out as quickly as it had been started.

Because Ochako took one step and collapsed.

“ _Uraraka is down!_ ”

“Ochako!” Ruby cried out, panic starting to fill her. No, no, no! Come on! She had to get up!

“It’s too much…” said Iida.

“Yeah, she’s way past her limit,” agreed Midoriya. But down below, Ochako was still trying to fight. She could barely move, she was so exhausted. She had resorted to crawling to try and get close to Bakugo. But even that proved to be too much. She went down on her side. The entire arena went eerily quiet as Midnight raced over to check on her, holding out her hand to silently tell Bakugo to stand down.

“...Uraraka is KO’d,” Midnight solemnly announced. “Bakugo advances to the second round!” There were cheers from the crowd as medical bots came out to collect the fallen party. Ochako was loaded onto a stretcher and taken out of the arena.

“ _And that’s it for the first round,_ ” Present Mic sighed. “ _I was really pullin’ for her. Oh, yeah, I guess Bakugo’s moving on._ ”

“ _You’re supposed to be unbiased, you know,_ ” Aizawa told him. Mic’s attitude did a full 180 at that.

 _“Let’s try to forget that depressing outcome!_ ”

Mr. Aizawa sighed, sounding exasperated. “ _Or not._ ”

“ _With that, the first round is complete! We’re taking a quick break and then we’re back with more matches!_ ” The crowd cheered.

* * *

As soon as the break was over at the stage was repaired, the tie breaker match for Kirishima and Tetsutetsu took place. Midoriya left shortly after it began to get ready for the next match that was waiting: him and Todoroki. Not long after was when Bakugo returned to the 1-A box, hands stuffed deep into his pockets. Although he didn’t exactly look like he was in the mood to talk, there were few members of the class that were brave enough to strike up a conversation. Ruby, for once, was not one of them. Her mind was on… other things as she listened to her classmates.

“Hey, Bakugo!” called out Sero as the explosive boy made his way down to his seat. “Playin’ the villain, huh? Mutsa been tough.”

“Even if it was ust because of who you were up against,” added Tsuyu, “you did make a pretty convincing bad guy. “

“Shut up, you idiots,” Bakugo growled as he plopped down into his seat, “Or else!”

Kaminari didn’t seem to get the message. “For real, dude. I don’t know how you were able to aim a powerful blast at a frail girl like that. I couldn’t help but hold back against Shiozaki.” ...Hold back? He used all his electricity against her. 

“She completely overpower you, Kaminari,” said Tsu. Oh yeah, there was that, too.

“Can’t you just let me have this?” The answer, obvious and unspoken, was no.

Bakugo huffed, withdrawing his hands from his pockets and leaning forward. “I definitely wouldn't call that girl ‘frail’.” Considering how Ochako performed.. that was pretty accurate.

Ruby sighed. Even if she had been frail, Ochako fought like hell to win… only to have it literally blow up in her face. She couldn’t imagine how much that must’ve hurt… Without saying much, Ruby got up out of her seat. As soon as she hit the hallway’s entrance, she took off with a burst of sped towards the waiting rooms. Ochako had to be awake by now, right?

Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who had the same idea. Midoriya was outside the 1-A waiting room when she got there. ...Okay, in hindsight, perhaps he was only there to prepare for the next round. His match was the first in the quarter-finals. But either way, both entered the room together. And as Ruby thought, Ochako was sitting at one of the tables, having already changed out of her damaged uniform.

“Hey, Ochako…” said Ruby with a small wave. Looks like her injuries had already been treated. From behind Ruby, Midoriya stared at Ochako, a bit confused.

“Guess I got a little carried away at the end thinking I had it in the bag,” Ochako said with a shaky smile, as if she just hadn’t lost her chance to show off more of what she could do. “Dang it!”

“Uh… Bakugo beat you pretty badly. You were hurt pretty badly too…” She did kind of… well, straight up pass out.

“I was, but Recovery Girl took care of me.” It didn’t seem like it was just Recovery Girl. There wasn’t even a scratch on Ochako. Recovery Girl’s Quirk relied on a person’s stamina in order to heal them. Ochako shouldn’t have had enough energy for a full heal unless… A thought formed in Ruby’s head. Is who she thinks she is working in the infirmary today…? Ochako sighed. “Jeez, I didn’t realize how powerful that Bakugo was! He wiped the ring with me. Now I realize how much more training I have to do!”

Midoriya exchanged looks with Ruby before he said: “You sure you’re good?”

“Oh, yeah, totally. I’m better than I expected.” The phone on the table vibrated. Ochako glanced at it once, but paid it no real attention. “Even if you’ve lost, you always keep looking ahead to what’s next, Deku. This just means that I have to work harder now.”

“That’s true…” said Midoriya. But still… to fight so hard and not make a dent… Ochako was powerful and clever, but… Ruby bit her lip. If Ochako couldn’t beat Bakugo, then…?

Her train of thought was cut off when the loudspeaker in the room got a bit louder as it echoed with midnight's voice: “ _Kirishima is the winner! Add him to the bracket!_ ”

 _Okay, so it’s Kirishima versus Bakugo then… whoever wins that will face either me or Tokoyami in the next round._ Ruby internally sighed. _...I really hope that it’s Kirishima. If I somehow beat Tokoyami, I’d really hate having to fight Bakugo..._

“ _Kirishima earns a spot in the second round!_ ” echoed Present Mic’s voice from the speaker. _“Now we’ve got a full roster for the next round of the tournament. Let’s get the party started now, ya dig?_ ”

Midoriya let out a sigh. “Already? Later.” Oh right, that meant his match against Todoroki was about to start.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Deku!” said Ochako, her face flushing pink. “You weren’t able to prepare since I was here!” Much to Ruby’s surprise, Midoriya shook his head.

“Nah. This was perfect. “

“Huh?” Ruby raised a brow. “You have a plan against Todoroki?”

He avoided looking her in the eye. “Something like that…” Unfortunately for him, Ruby knew what that look meant. Jaune has had that look before. It meant ‘not really, I’m going to wing it’.

“I’ll be watching,” said Ochako, offering a watery smile. “Good luck out there.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll save you a seat,” Ruby called as she and Midoriya slipped back through the doorway.

“Thank you!” The door shut behind them with a soft click. Ruby let out a sigh as she and Midoriya began walking down the hall again.

“She’s not okay. I’ve been around enough teenage girls to know that,” she said only after they took a few steps away from the door. Midoriya didn’t say anything, only offering her a hum to let her know that he had heard. His eyebrows were scrunched together, and molips tightly drawn into a line. “...something on your mind?”

“It’s just that…” Midoriya sighed, trying to ease away the furrow in the middle of his brow, “I thought I could help Uraraka in some way. In the end, I couldn't do anything. She’s the one encouraging me instead of the other way around. Again.”

“That’s what friends do.” At least good friends. Ruby had seen multiple examples of that almost all her life from her own friends and sister. They lifted each other up instead of bringing them down, doin their best to help them where they needed it.

“I know, but…” Midoriya drifted off from there. Ruby’s mind briefly drifted back to the conversation he had with Todoroki. She bit down on her lip. Even though Todoroki told her not to say anything… she could get why Midoriya was saying that. Ochako wasn't the only friend that he couldn’t do anything for.

“Well… um…” How exactly was she supposed to respond to this? Ruby wasn’t sure whether or not what happened was lucky or not. A very tall and muscular man then turned the corner. Ruby stared at him. A man with familiar red hair, familiar turquoise eyes and flames licking his face.

“Endeavor?!” Midoriya exclaimed. In the past, Ruby always felt a sense of contentment when she saw Endeavor. He was the number two hero. He was meant to be looked up to and revered, making people feel safe. But now… now Ruby had Todoroki’s story fresh in her mind. She felt a pit of anger drop into her stomach as she stepped behind Midoriya, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides.

“I was looking for you,” said Endeavor the moment he laid eyes on the two students. Or rather, when he laid eyes on Midoriya.

“Oh yeah. Hi,” Midoriya borderline squeaked, having trouble meeting the Pro Here's gaze. “So, uh, what are you doing back here?”

“I watched your fight against the brainwashing guy.” He was avoiding the question, but if Ruby had to guess, he was looking for Todoroki and running into Midoriya was just a happy accident that he took advantage of. “Your power is pretty impressive. To create so much wind pressure just by flicking your fingers. It reminds me of another Quirk. You seem to have much in common with All Might.”

“Oh. Well, I— I guess I never thought about it that way. Sorry, but I should get going.” Midoriya kept his head low as he walked past Endeavor. Ruby didn’t move. She remained there for a second before quickly walking past the flame hero herself. Just keep calm… don’t say anything… She promised she wouldn’t tell.

“It’s my Shouto’s duty to surpass All Might as the number one hero.” Now that got Midoriya to stop, with Ruby barely able to stop in time to keep herself from bumping into him. “And his match with you will be a good testing ground for how much training he has left. So hit him hard.” And with each word that Endeavor said, Ruby felt the back of her neck heat up as her anger slowly began to build. “Don’t disgrace yourself or him by holding back. That’s all I wanted to say. I apologize for bothering you.”

And Endeavor walked past the two students, as if what he had told Midoriya was a common occurrence. It set off something inside of Ruby, like a lighter igniting. She whipped around to face the number two hero.

“...Hey—! “ Ruby felt Midoriya take her by the wrist to stop her from getting any closer to the hero. The look in his eyes was enough to get her to back down. This wasn’t her fight. She sighed, stepping back. Midoriya stared the hero down.

“Endeavor,” he said, getting the hero to stop in his tracks. “I am not All Might.”

“What?” said Endeavor. “What are you talking about?”

“And the same goes for Todoroki. He may be your son, but he isn’t you.” And with that final statement, Midoriya walked away. Ruby looked between the two. Did he really just…? 

Her eyes locked with Endeavor’s. They were exactly like Todoroki’s left one… the one with the scar… A glint formed in Ruby’s eyes as they narrowed. She saw a sense of recognition in his. Todoroki had mentioned that his father often worked with Ruby’s mother in the past. More than once, Ruby had been compared to Summer Rose in terms of appearance. Perhaps that was what Endeavor was seeing now. 

“You. What’s your name?” Ruby faltered. She… She steeled her nerves and followed after Midoriya, not saying a single word to the number two hero. She picked up her pace until she caught up with her classmate. It was only once she was sure that Endeavor was out of earshot that she felt comfortable speaking again.

Ruby let out a breath that she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding. “I can’t stand people like that…”

“Uh… wh-what are you…?” Midoriya stammered before sighing. “You heard everything he said… But—!”

“No. No buts. There’s no buts here. No buts! There’s no excuse for any of that.” Ruby crossed her arms firmly over her chest. “...At least none that doesn’t make me mad.”

“You… have a lot of pent-up feelings about Endeavor, huh?”

“Not until recently… just what he said to you… gah!” Everything Ruby was made to keep silent about wanted to pour out of her mouth. It was like a soda bottle that she had shaken and was desperately trying to keep a lid on. Or more like seeing Endeavor had shaken it up. “I can’t believe he would tell you to do that to his own kid! I mean, everyone’s going hard in this and giving it our all, but… it’s not right to hear it come out of his mouth…”

“H-He’s only trying to support—”

That was the nail in the balloon because Ruby _exploded_.

“He’s not! He just…! I mean, I don’t know why he’s trying to do this, but I know what he’s trying to do. And it’s nothing good! He’s pushing him farther than he could go…” Her cheeks were flaring up red as she went on. A father treating their child like that…! “Not even my dad did that to me when we were training. He always stopped when he knew I was at my limit. But… but he doesn’t. He kept pushing Todoroki more than he should have, and even his mom… He pushed her over the edge. He made her snap and hurt Todoroki! I’ve wondered about how he got his scar before but that… I can’t imagine what he did to the rest of his family…”

Midoriya stared at her. “How do you know that?” ...uh-oh. Any red in Ruby’s face drained out of it immediately.

“I uh…” she swallowed down nothing, feeling her mouth suddenly go dry. “Didn’t he say something like that…?”

“Endeavor never said anything like that. Actually, he never brought up his wife.” Oh no. Ruby opened her mouth and no words came out. Crap. “Rose… how did you find out about Todoroki’s scar?”

...There was no way that Ruby could think of to talk her way out of this, was there? She sighed. “...please don’t get mad at me.”

Midoriya blinked, a brow raised. “Why would I get mad at you?”

“Because I overheard your conversation with Todoroki earlier when I went to look for you?” Midoriya stared at her for a moment, eyes briefly going wide. “I didn't want to interrupt, so I thought I would wait until you were done but… I heard more than I should have. I’m sorry. Todoroki told me not to tell anyone, but you already know, so…” Ruby bit down on her lip. “Sorry.”

Midoriya sighed. “It’s fine. You didn’t do it on purpose…” Quiet fell again. He didn’t sound mad at her, like Todoroki had. He just sounded a bit… a bit disappointed? Frustrated? Upset? Whatever it was, it didn't settle right. At least he knew what had happened was an accident. Ruby stared down at the ground. Her outburst just now… Todoroki’s situation… it just...

“All of that… reminds me too much of another situation a friend of mine is in. There’s nothing we can do for her, either… at least not to get her away from her dad,” Ruby finally explained, breaking the quiet that had built. Weiss had done her best to hide what she went through from anyone outside of her family… but at this point, her friends were more like her family than her actual relatives. So she had told them everything the day she came into school with that scar over her eye. Her father’s behavior was all too much like Endeavor’s. Ruby let out a sigh before she continued. “But Endeavor’s a hero… or he’s supposed to be. Heroes are people that others can look up to and they’re supposed to give people hope. Not… not hurt them.”

Midoriya only hummed in response to that. Though her reason helped explain her reaction a little, it didn’t change that fact that she had eavesdropped. And if Todoroki was anything like Weiss...

“And Todoroki is hurting a lot, isn’t he?” Ruby said. To her dismay, Midoriya nodded.

“Yeah…” he finally said to her, “he told me that he never uses his fire Quirk in combat because of his dad.” Fire? So it wasn’t just heat then? But that...

“Isn’t that kinda dangerous?” It was something they learned when they were kids. Everyone who had Quirk counselling knew that. Everyone who had good parents knew that.

“Our Quirks are extensions of ourselves,” said Midoriya, picking up Ruby’s own train of thought. “It’s like bottling things up when you’re mad or upset. Eventually, it’s going to explode. And in Todoroki’s case…” If he didn’t use his fire side, he would lose control of it. Or worse.

“And there’s nothing we really can do about it since his dad’s a pro…” Ruby bit back a groan, letting her arms fall to her sides. “I hate this.” There was nothing they could do, despite how wrong it was. … Was this what some heroes felt like? Would they find themselves in situations like this in the future?

“Maybe…” Ruby perked up when she heard Midoriya start to mutter to himself.

“Midoriya?”

“Maybe there is something I can do to help after all…”

“Izuku, what _are_ you planning to do with your fight against Todoroki?” He was on her side. He felt the same way, although not as openly aggressive about it. And what he just said… Midoriya groaned, burying fingers into his hair.

“I don’t have a choice but to fight him… I want to go beyond, but…” He sighed, his own thoughts spinning around in his head. “This is gonna get me hurt.” He glanced over at Ruby. The two had stopped now, coming at the crossroads where they needed to separate. Or rather, where Ruby needed to head to the 1-A box and Midoriya to the arena. “But I have no choice but to do it. Just… trust me. I know what I need to do. And maybe it’ll help Todoroki in the process…”

“Please be careful.” Midoriya didn’t respond. He simply turned and made his way down the stairs. Ruby bit down on her lip. Uncle Qrow did the same thing every time when told to be careful while out doing hero work.

It meant that he couldn't make that promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Eleven: Pushed to the Edge
> 
> It's Midoriya vs. Todoroki!  
> Bones will be broken.


	11. Pushed to the Edge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second round of the tournament kicks off with Midoriya vs. Todoroki. And Midoriya's words have Ruby worried about what exactly he's about to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright y'all, it's Midoriya v Todoroki!!! I'm so hype for this fight, even if it's just from an observer's standpoint. Watching their fight always gets me super hype, no matter how many times I watch it. I hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> Warning: This is a fight between two teenage boys that results in massive bone breakage. I mean... if you've seen the fight before, then you know what happens, but I still feel like I should warn you anyway.

Ruby bounced her knee, fidgeting in her seat from the 1-A box. She had gone back alone, and Midoriya’s words had her a bit… concerned. He wanted to help Todoroki as much as she did, but what he told her… Or rather what he didn’t tell her… Midoriya wasn’t exactly the careful type, especially when it came to using his Quirk. He was willing to go as far as break his own bones. And Todoroki… Todoroki wasn’t exactly holding back.

She really hoped that Midoriya would be careful.

“So the match hasn’t started yet?” Ruby and the others around her looked up. Ochako had finally made her return and was rubbing at her eyes as she descended towards the front row.

“Ura—!” Iida cut himself off as soon as he got a good look at Ochako. Her eyes were swollen and tinged red. “Something horrible’s happened to your eyes! You need to go see Recovery Girl!”

“I already did. This is from…” Ochako told them as she sat down, rubbing her eyes, “something else.”

“Ah, of course! If I were you, I'd be frustrated, too.” Ruby had a feeling that she could guess what that ‘something else’ might have been.

“It’s not time to wallow,” said Tokoyami, not too far away from where Ruby and Iida were sitting, “Use this next fight as a source of encouragement.”

“Will do,” Ochako told him. Ruby bent down, picking up a bottle of water that was resting on the floor comfortably close to her seat. 

“You sure that you’re okay?” she asked, handing the bottle off to Ochako.

“Y-Yeah… I feel much better than before, actually.” Ruby offered her a nod.

“Okay.” Guess crying must’ve helped.

The crowd erupted in cheering as Midoriya and Todoroki stepped out onto the field and into the stadium. Both looked determined as hell to win this. But only one would come out on top. And knowing what she knew, Ruby was worried about what they would do to achieve that.

“ _ I can feel the anticipation in the stadium! And that’s because the second round’s first match is gonna be epic! _ ” shouted Present Mic over the roar of the crowd. “ _ It’s the guy who won his last fight by a landslide and literally left half the audience frozen. The hero course’s Shouto Todoroki! And this kid almost walked out of his first matchup, but made a stunning comeback by showing off some impressive moves! Also from the hero course, Izuku Midoriya! _ ”

“Tokoyami,” said Iida, turning to the bird headed boy. “How do you think this match will go?”

“It depends on whether or not Midoriya is able to get in close to him,” Tokoyami replied.

“Yeah. That’s the problem,” agreed Ochako. “How will Deku avoid the ice?” Ruby’s mind drifted back to her conversation with Midoriya just minutes before. All she could really do was offer up a shrug. 

“He’s probably gonna have to use his Quirk…” she said, “but that’s going to break his legs and he couldn’t fight anymore… Maybe that’s his plan? Let Todoroki win without having to fight…?” She bit back a groan. “But that doesn’t make sense either…”

“Ruby?” Ruby blinked. Her friends were staring at her.

“Just thinkin’ out loud…” And trying to figure out what exactly she had to brace herself for.

“ _ Both of the heroes in training have been frontrunners in the Sports Festival! But which one of these rivals will advance to the next round? Prepare for… Midoriya versus Todoroki! _ ” Ruby was already trying to do that. _ “BEGIN! _ ”

Todoroki started the match just like he did with his previous fight. He sent a burst of ice rushing towards his opponent. As it got closer to Midoriya, however...

“Smash!” Midoriya immediately countered with a flick of his fingers. The ice wave shattered from the blow, with the pressure going as far to throw Todoroki back. The latter only managed to remain in-pounds by creating a shield of ice behind him. Ruby sighed.

_ Yeah, that’s what I thought… _ Midoriya was ready to hurt himself in order to fight. She could see the distinct purple-reddish bruise that Midoriya’s middle finger on his right hand had become from where she was sitting.

“ _ Wow! Midoriya managed to break Todoroki’s insane opening move! _ ” Todoroki began to generate another ice barrage, sending it all straight towards Midoriya.

“SMASH!” Midoriya once again shattered a finger in order to defend. There went his index finger.

“ _ He countered again! _ ” But Todoroki didn’t back down so easily. He continued his icy assault, forcing Midoriya to break yet another finger to keep himself from becoming a popsicle.

“Oh, no, crap! I’m missing it!” Ruby managed to take her eyes off the match to see a certain redhead returning to 1-A’s box.

“Congrats, Kiri!” she called out to him.

“Hey, nice job making it to the second round, Kirishima,” added Kaminari.

“Thanks, guys,” Kirishima said with a smirk before glancing at Bakugo. “Looks like I take down Bakugo next.”

“I’ll kill you,” Bakugo said, not taking his eyes off of the fight below. Ruby bit back a sigh.

_ Please don’t…  _ She didn’t want to have to fight Bakugo...

“Heh. Yeah, sure. In your dreams,” said Kirishima as he settled down into his seat. “No, but seriously. It’s crazy how you and Todoroki both have moves that blast the whole stadium! Must be pretty nice.”

“Plus, you don’t have to pause between attacks,” added Sero. Ruby held back a groan. Now she  _ really _ didn’t want to fight Bakugo.

Perhaps fed up and wanting them to shut up, Bakugo huffed. “It’s not as easy as you think, ya morons.” Kirishima hummed in curiosity, glancing over at Bakugo. “If you overuse your muscles, you risk tearing them apart. If you sprint too much, you run out of breath.” Bakugo looked down at his hand. It was shaking, even if it was a slight one. Ruby had to guess it was from his attack earlier. “Quirks are physical abilities, too. They can get worn out. You can’t just use them nonstop.”

“It makes sense when you put it that way.” Kirishima looked back down at the fight. ”I wonder if that's how Midoriya thinks he’s gonna beat Todoroki.”

“If he can do that before he runs out of stamina…” Ruby countered, leaning forward and bracing herself against her legs. “Midoriya’s gonna break all his fingers at this rate… He can’t fire off as many hits as we can because of how his body reacts to his Quirk… With all his fingers, his arms and his legs… He only has a maximum of fourteen shots. And he’s already used four of them.”

“He only has ten left before he’s unable to move,” said Iida. Ruby nodded.

_ Unless he uses a broken limb…  _ But not even Midoriya would go that far. …Ruby thought back to what Midoriya said to her. He said that he was going to get himself hurt doing this… would he get that far then…?

Todoroki quickly followed up with another burst of ice. And just like before…

“Smash!” Midoriya countered it with a snap of a finger. And now, almost all the fingers on his right had were broken. The only one that remained intact was his thumb. However, unlike before, the pressure caused by the boy flicking his fingers wasn’t enough to throw Todoroki off his feet.

“ _ Todoroki withstood Midoriya’s power and is now rushing his classmate! _ ” Todoroki generated a prising pillar of ice, climbing it in an attempt to get his hands on Midoriya.

“Come on, Midoriya…” Ruby muttered out loud, her nails digging into her pants as the fabric twisted around her fingers.

Midoriya destroyed Todoroki’s ice by breaking the middle finger on his left hand. Unfortunately for him, Todoroki avoided getting blown back by that attack, leaping up in the air above his opponent. He came crashing back down, trying to hit Midoriya with a freezing punch. Midoriya managed to evade. Adjusting quickly, Todoroki expanded out his ice, making it rush towards Midoriya. The ice caught his foot.

Energy lit up Midoriya’s left arm. With a cry, he smashed the ice, sacrificing his entire arm in the process. His painful scream rang out throughout the arena along with the wind pressure he created.

“Midoriya!” Ruby found herself crying out. But Todoroki managed to withstand the force of that smash. Ice caught him and a large chunk of it protected him. Todoroki pushed his barrier away, letting out a puff of frost as he did so. As he got up, Ruby caught sight of something forming on his right arm.

_ Huh? Is that… ice…? _

Ruby stared at him. It was. It was and Todoroki was starting to noticeably tremble from the cold. But still, he sent yet another wave of ice rushing towards Midoriya.

“ _ Whoa! Todoroki continues his overwhelming attacks! Could this be his finishing move? _ ”

“I’m not done yet!” Midoriya shouted. He countered Todoroki’s ice once more with his Quirk… unfortunately using his broken fingers to do so. Todoroki was able to create a plume of ice to catch himself before he could fall out of bounds.

“He’s using his broken hand…” Ruby muttered a loud. How crazy was this kid?! When Midoriya said that he was going to get hurt, she thought that just meant he was going to use his Quirk. That was it! But he was making his breaks worse but repeatedly using his Quirk like this. This… this couldn’t be good.

Down below, Midoriya balled his broken fingers into a fist, saying something that Ruby couldn't make out but was definitely pissing Todoroki off.

“So come at me with all you’ve got!” the green-haired boy finally shouted loud enough. At that, Todoroki rushed towards Midoriya. The instant he lifted his foot, however… Midoriya pounced, energy lighting up his arm. He struck the half-and-half boy in the stomach, sending Todoroki flying back, but not before Todoroki managed to partially freeze his broken arm.

“ _ A solid punch! _ ” cried out Present Mic as Midoriya screamed in pain. “ _ That’s the kind of action I like to see! _ ” Ruby clamped a hand down over her mouth to keep another shout from coming out. What was he doing?! Midoriya was reckless in fights, sure, often taking the risk and hurting himself but… but he was going beyond his normal recklessness into dangerous territory.

Todoroki recovered from the blow fairly quickly. He sent out a wave of ice to try and freeze Midoriya again, but he was too slow. Midoriya managed to dodge it. Todoroki then rushed him in an attempt to freeze him, but his opponent kept him away with a minor smash, breaking another finger even further. With Recovery Girl on standby, he knew that he would be healed after his match. It only aided him in his recklessness. But with how far he was going… there would be injuries that couldn’t be fully healed. There might be a risk of permanent damage, or even scarring. He was sacrificing himself and everything during this fight. But why…?!

Endeavor’s words echoed in Ruby’s mind, as did Midoriya’s response to him. Before the match, he said that what he was going to do was going to get himself hurt… that he didn’t have a choice. And now he was doing that by pushing himself beyond his limit. But he never gave a clear explanation as to why. Why was he doing this to himself?! What made it so that he didn’t have a choice?! At this rate, Midoriya was going to follow through with what Endeavor told him to do. He was going to seriously hurt Todoroki!

Despite his own injuries, Midoriya continued to sacrifice his fingers one by one to keep Todoroki away with bursts of air. He let the energy of his Quirk flow through already broken fingers and let them shatter the bone even further. It got to the point where he was unable to make a fist on his right hand. Todoroki then seized his chance. He tried to freeze him, a burst of ice rushing towards the green-haired boy. But Midoriya simply pressed his thumb to the inside of his cheek and...

“SMASH!” Midoriya cried out, flicking his thumb to create another shockwave the blew Todoroki back. Todoroki stood still for a moment once he got his footing again. Midoriya snapped him out of it by headbutting him in the chest. He rushed towards Todoroki again, his arm lighting up with his Quirk’s energy. Midoriya struck him once more, sending him even farther back. “I’ll surpass you!”

Ruby’s eyes widened, panic twisting around in her chest.

_ What is he…?! _

“IT’S YOURS!” Midoriya shouted, his words echoing throughout the arena. “YOUR QUIRK, NOT HIS!”

It then clicked. Everything that Midoriya said, all of his actions up until that point... Why he was going this far… It was starting to make sense. There was a brief moment where Todoroki stood still. And then, it happened. Fire began to lick at his left side before erupting into full flames, flickering steady and bright. 

“ _ Is that…!? _ ”

“He’s using his fire!” said Ochako with a gasp.

“Incredible!” cried out Iida. Midoriya wasn’t doing this because he was told to. He was trying to get Todoroki to stop holding back and use the full power of his Quirk… to get him to let loose his flames. He was trying to save Todoroki from himself… and the man holding him back. Ruby couldn’t stop herself from grinning.

“You crazy…!” She bounced up, leaning against the railing before shouting down: “That’s the stuff, Todoroki!” Even down below, Midoriya had a wide smile and a sense of amazement in his eyes. He had achieved his goal.

“Yes, Shouto!” And there went Ruby’s happy mood. She watched as Endeavor marched down towards the railing seperating the crowd from the center stage, plopping back down in her seat. “Have you finally accepted your purpose? That’s it. Very good. This is the dawn of a new era for us. With my blood in your veins, you’ll surpass me. You will live up to the reason I created you!”

“ _ Endeavor suddenly shouts words of… encouragement? What a doting father…? _ ” Present Mic had every right to be confused. Those weren’t words of encouragement. Those are the words of… Ruby didn’t want to think about it. She turned back to the match just in time to see…

Both of the boys were charging up their Quirks. Ice and fire swirled around Todoroki like some sort of elemental hurricane. Superpowered energy lit up Midoriya’s leg. Both of them had wild looks on their faces. They weren’t holding back anymore. And with Midoriya’s injuries already… and how much Todoroki was giving…!

_ They’re going to kill each other! _

Todoroki sent a giant wave of ice towards Midoriya. The force of the latter’s Quirk’s energy tore up his uniform. He jumped over Todoroki’s ice, rushing towards him. Todoroki ignited his left side again, rapidly melting the ice as the flames built up for a fiery attack. Midoriya countered easily, smashing the ice with his broken arm.

_ Stop! Before you get hurt…! _

Ruby wasn’t the only one with that thought in mind. Both Cementoss and Midnight were quick to react. Ms. Midnight tore at her costume, revealing the skin of her arm and unleashing the built-up power from her Quirk in order to render the students unconscious. Stone under Cementoss’s control rushed towards the two boys as quickly as possible in order to keep them separate if Midnight’s interference didn’t work. But it was already too late.

Despite the stone walls Cementoss erected, the two attacks still collided. The cement shattered as if it were glass. There was a second. And then the pressure created by both attacks expanded rapidly outward. The center of the stadium exploded in a spectular boom that surpassed Bakugo’s earlier destruction of Ochako’s meteor shower. Ruby let out a yelp as Iida threw himself over her and Ochako in an attempt to shield them from the debris.

“Holy crap balls!”

“This is crazy!”

“What’s happening down there?!”

“ _ What happened just now? _ ” Present Mic’s voice echoed as things started to calm down and dust began to fall. “ _ What the heck is up with your students? _ ”

“ _ The air around the ring had been thoroughly cooled down, _ ” Aizawa explained to both his co-commentator and the audience, “ _ and then rapidly expanded when heated up. _ ”

“ _ Wait,  _ that’s _ what caused the explosion? How hot did that fire get?! Jeez, I can’t see a thing! Is the match still going on, or what, huh? _ ” Ruby coughed a little as Iida pulled back away from her and Ochako. The smoke began to clear. When the dust from the explosion finally settled, the outcome of the fight was revealed to all watching.

Midoriya collapsed outside of bounds, badly bruised and literally broken. Todoroki stood alone inside of the ring. The left half of his jacket was burned off. 

Silver eyes went wide as Ruby sprang up, catching herself on the railing in front of her as panic began to surge throughout her body. “IZUKU!”

“Midoriya is… out of bounds,” said Midnight down below. “Todoroki wins! He advances to the third round!”

Ruby could barely hear the crowd over the blood pounding in her ears. As a stretcher came to quickly collect the fallen boy, she had trouble keeping herself in control. Calls of her name were faint as Ruby rushed out of the students’ box in a burst of rose petals, making a beeline for the infirmary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo!! That was a fight!! I hope I did okay writing it.
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Twelve: Light on My Feet
> 
> Ruby vs Tokoyami is up next, folks!


	12. Light On My Feet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The quarter-finals continue. Following her fight with Tokoyami, Ruby is probably left more confused than she was before it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains teenagers fighting each other. And that's about it, aside from a small bit of blood. But that's because of All Might. No children are harmed in this chapter for the most part.
> 
> There are a few good scenes in here that I'm proud about, but most importantly, we get Ruby's next fight! It's ruby vs. Tokoyami! Let's go!

The only reason Ruby didn’t make it to the infirmary first was because of Iida. He had used his own engines to speed up to the girl going at her top speed. When he caught up to her, he had wrapped his arms tightly around Ruby, getting a mouthful of rose petals in the process. From the tone of his voice, she could tell that he was just as worried as her about Midoriya, but Iida had a far more levelhead on his shoulders. He was able to keep calm despite his nerves, while Ruby… Ruby exactly hadn’t.

Could he really blame her? After all that, she was going to be worried! She wanted to see if Midoriya was alright (alright as he could be anyway) after his explosive match with Todoroki. Iida managed to talk her out of using her Quirk to speed down to the infirmary, at least. By the time he did, Ochako, Tsuyu and for some reason Mineta had caught up to them. The entire group of students then rushed down to the infirmary together.

The kids just about threw the door open, shouting Midoriya’s name when they arrived. There was a loud clatter as someone jumped, letting out a yelp at the sudden intrusion. That was something that Ruby recognized right off the bat. It was Jaune Arc, a messy, blonde-haired third year, who immediately went about picking up what he had dropped. He wasn’t the only one surprised by the kids’ surprise entrance. A tall, skeletal-like man with wild blonde hair was standing by Midoriya’s bedside and had let out a harsh cough when the kids entered.

“You scared the crap outta me…” muttered the familiar sounding voice that came from him. Ruby’s attention fell on the other blonde in the room. 

She stared at him, confusion sweeping and taking her over. “Mr. Yagi?” The man coughed and turned to face her. She grinned a little. Yup. Definitely him. “Long time, no see.”

His face drained of color the moment that he laid eyes on the girl. “Uh… R-Ruby. Hey!”

“He’s in no state for visitors,” said the school's nurse, Recovery Girl. She had been the only one not to even react when the students burst in the way the others in the room did. Despite her saying that, Midoriya cracked his eyes open. His arms were casted, and his leg was in a splint. Even if his body wasn’t bandaged, the strain on his face would have shown the world that he was in obvious pain. The adrenaline was gone now.

“Hey, you guys,” said Midoriya, his voice hoarse from all the shouting he did in his fight. “Shouldn’t you be watching the matches?”

“The stage was far too damaged,” Iida explained. “They’re taking a quick break to repair it now.”

“That match was the scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my life, Midoriya,” said Mineta, not helping the situation what-so-ever. “What Pro’s gonna want a sidekick that hurts himself?” Tsuyu promptly stuck her tongue in his ear, making him yelp.

“Now you’re just rubbing salt in his wounds,” she said, chastising him. “Probably not a good time.”

“Hey, I’m just speakin’ the truth!” It was then that Recovery Girl decided that the kids had overstayed their welcome.

“You’re much too noisy,” she said, beginning to usher the kids out of the room with Jaune following after her. “I know you’re worried, but I’ve got to focus on surgery now.” Ruby’s eyes widened.

“Surgery!?” she and the others exclaimed. Just how badly had Midoriya hurt himself?!

“Go on. Get out of here.” She kept pushing the kids further out of the room.

“But—” Ochako stamered.

“Surgery’s a big deal, isn’t it?” said Mineta.

“Will his wounds be healed?” asked Iida.

“Don’t worry, just leave us to it!” Tsuyu sadly let out a ribbit as Recovery Girl shut the door on their faces, Jaune slipping out at the last second. Her assistant for the day was left to block the students from trying to get back in.

“Jaune!” Ruby groaned, pouting a little. Since they were kids, Jaune had been weak to the power of bright eyes and a small pout from her. “Come on! Let us through!”

“You heard Recovery Girl, I can’t,” Jaune told her, stepping in front of the door’s handle to keep the kids from trying to even think about getting inside. Okay, maybe he wasn’t as vulnerable as she thought. He sighed, ruffling Ruby’s hair. “Don't worry about your friend. We’ll have him back at 100% in no time!”

_ I’m not sure if that's a good thing considering Midoriya’s Quirk… _

“But that’s not how Recovery Girl's Quirk works,” said Iida. He was right. If Ruby remembered correctly, Recovery Girl’s Quirk relied on a person's natural energy in order to heal them. She couldn’t fully heal someone with injuries like Midoriya without seriously draining them, or worse. Killing them. But...

“No,” said Jaune, “but it’s how mine works.”

Ochako stared at him. “You have a healing Quirk, too?”

“Sorta. I can amplify energy and transfer it if I need to,” Jaune leaned against the door, glancing down at his own hand. “I have a lot of it naturally, so that last thing isn’t a big deal. Any energy I give can boost my own strength and stamina, someone else’s, or heal wounds quicker than normal.”

“With your Quirk working with Recovery Girl’s, you can heal Midoriya fully, right?” Ruby asked, her worry comin through as clear as day. “He’s gonna be okay, isn’t he?”

“He’ll be just fine. I promise.” Jaune messed up Ruby’s hair again under a gentle hand, trying to reassure her of that. “We got this covered. You guys just focus on the sports festival, alright?” It took a little while, but eventually Jaune got the kids to agree to that. He sent them off before slipping back inside the infirmary himself. 

Ruby glanced back at the nurse’s office as the group began to make their way down the hall. Okay, so her earlier thoughts about Jaune being there were right. That would explain why Ochako looked like she hadn’t gotten blown up repeatedly at all. But that didn’t explain why one certain person was there. She couldn't’ see a reason for him being there at all. Midoriya was injured, and Recovery was working. So why..

“What is he doing here…?” Ruby said, muttering to herself in a way that she thought the others wouldn’t hear.

Tsu nudged her arm. “Are you okay, Ruby?”

“What?” Ruby blinked, snapping back to reality. “Oh, yeah! Just thinking out loud!”

“About who was back there?” asked Iida. Ruby nodded. “I have to admit… It is strange to have a student working in the infirmary when they themselves need to get ready for their own stage. But, training is training I suppose.” She blinked.

“Huh?”

“The one who ushered us out of the room. That’s who you were talking about, correct? You were wondering why he was here.” It took Ruby a second to put the pieces together.

“Oh. Oh no,” Ruby shook her head, gesturing back to the infirmary. Jaune was gone from the door by now, having probably returned to help Recovery Girl with Midoriya’s treatment. “That’s Jaune. He’s a friend of mine. I know why he’s here. He’s a third year working with Recovery Girl today.”

“You know so many third years…” commented Ochako. Ruby simply shrugged.

“Kind of happens when my sister brings her friends home,” she said. “But Jaune lives in my neighborhood. I’ve known him the longest out of everyone.”

“We met him and the others after USJ, right?” asked Tsuyu. “They kind of tackled you.” Ruby nodded.

“I didn’t know he worked with Recovery Girl,” said Iida, glancing back at the infirmary.

“Like he said, it’s because of his Quirk. He can heal people, so he’s studying with her to help with that. Jaune works really hard,” Ruby told him. Out of everyone, Jaune’s Quirk seemed the most versatile, and that required a bit more effort to master on his part. “But I was actually talking about the other blonde guy in the room. The really tall one in the suit.”

“You know him too, Ruby?” Ochako asked, getting a nod from her friend. “Is he Deku's dad or something?”

“No…” Ruby took a moment to let the thought actually sink in. “At least I don't think he is.” She sighed, shaking her head. “He was a friend of my mom's. He used to come by and check on us after she died. He still does, but I haven't seen him since I was... I think in middle school. I wonder why he was here.”

There was a beat.

“Are we just gonna pass over that you just casually said your mom is—?!” Mineta started to exclaim before Tsuyu smacked him with her tongue.

Ruby looked back at the infirmary. Mr. Yagi was now standing outside of the door, lokin about as worried as the kids if not more. Somethin about it was strange. Why was he here…? ...wait,  _ was _ he Midoriya’s dad?! Ruby shook her head, clearing the thought away as she followed her friends out to the stadium.

* * *

The rest of the Sports Festival got underway with the roar of the crowd providing a suitable soundtrack. The next match went by fairly quickly. The cute girl from 1-B who had taken down Kaminari (if Ruby remembered right, her name as Shiozaki) and tried to keep Iida away from her with her vines. She was probably trying to do the same thing she did to take out Kaminari, but Iida was too fast for her. With the help of the same technique he pulled off during the cavalry battle, he managed to dodge the attack and get behind Shiozaki. The match was over in an instant as he pushed her towards the edge and out of bounds.

And then that left the next fight… Ruby’s own match against Tokoyami.

_ Here we go… _ Ruby let out a sigh. She still didn’t have a solid strategy to beat Tokoyami. All she had was the plan she came up with if she had to face Yaoyorozu. Maybe she could apply that here…? But all that amounted up to was doing whatever she made and pushing her out of bounds. With how fast Dark Shadow was, could she do that with Tokoyami? Well, she really didn’t have much of a choice. There was no time left. Ruby swallowed down her nerves.

“ _ AND BEGIN! _ ”

As soon as it started, Tokoyami summoned Dark Shadow. He sent him forward, slamming him into Ruby. Ruby felt lucky to have the Quirk she did. Her speed allowed her to manage an escape from Dark Shadow’s grasp before she could be pushed out of bounds. She spun on her heel as soon as she was a safe distance away. In a burst of rose petals, she charged forward, trying to do what Tokoyami was going to do to her: bodyslam the latter out of bounds.

Ruby dropped down low, rolling out of the way as Dark Shadow came back at her. She kept herself on her toes, moving quickly with short bursts of speed to dodge every swipe of the shadow. With each burst of rose petals that she created as she slipped and slid around the stage, Ruby’s stamina was diminishing bit by bit. Tokoyami, meanwhile, didn’t really seem to have that problem.

_ Come on, Ruby. Come on!  _ Everyone was watching! Ruby landed on the ground and charged at Tokoyami again. She became a blur, using her speed to advantage. If she couldn’t knock him out of bounds immediately, maybe she could disoreint him enough to have an opening. She zipped around Tokoyami, landing several small hits on him. She took it up a notch, kicking his leg out from under him to bring the boy to his knees.

Dark Shadow came to Tokoyami’s aid as Ruby went for his arm to try and push him out. The shadow slammed into her, throwing her across the stage and away from Tokoyami. Ruby grit her teeth as she roated her body, landing on her toes and skidding to a stop.

“ _ Rose barely manages to stay in line in an impressive display of balance! _ ” exclaimed Present Mic.

Tension hung between the two students as both stood still. Ruby was going to push him out of bounds, no matter what. She just needed to get enough force… She just needed enough to be fast enough to dodge Dark Shadow and get to Tokoyami without accidentally stepping out of bounds herself.

Ruby moved first. She dashed forward, only to be met with Dark Shadow. It hit her multiple times. It was now that Ruby was starting to guess Tokoyami’s plan. He was probably going to try and do what he did to Yaoyorozu, forcing her back until she stepped out of the ring. Ruby grimaced as she was hit again, digging her heel into the stage to try to keep herself from falling back. She was going to be so bruised after this…

Ruby slid out of the way of another one of Dark Shadows hits. It missed her, and as Ruby got to her feet again, she realized something. She had her chance. Ruby rushed towards Tokoyami, but Dark Shadow turned out to be quicker. It came around and slammed into her, throwing her back once again. Ruby rolled along the ground, remaining low and skidding easily to a stop. Ruby could feel sweat pricking her brow and she was panting a little. She didn’t have much stamina left to keep doing this. She was going to run out of steam eventually. Part of her had a feeling that Tokoyami probably knew this. This was probably his plan.

Well, if that's what he wanted… then that’s what he was going to get. Ruby grit her teeth and summoned up the little energy she had left. With the rest of her stamina, Ruby made herself move as fast as she possibly could to both dodge Dark Shadow and charge at Tokoyami. As soon as she was close enough, Ruby pounced. She tackled Tokoyami, holding on tightly enough so that he couldn’t push her off. Her speed and force enough to send them both sliding along the surface of the stage with a thick cloud of dust. She heard her classmates cry out their names.

“ _ Rose sacrificed herself to throw Tokoyami out of bounds! _ ” cried out Present Mic. “ _ Is it possible that we have a tie?! _ ”

“ _ Take a closer look, _ ” said Aizawa.

“ _ Huh? Wait, what's this?! _ ” Ruby cracked open an eye. The “this” Present Mic had been talking about was the current position she found herself in. She had her arms locked firmly around Tokoyami’s waist and her face had been buried in his stomach. Tokoyami’s upper half was past the boundary line, but Ruby… “ _ Ladies and gentlemen and all those in-between, Ruby Rose has somehow managed to remain within bounds! _ ” Midnight threw up her arm.

“Tokoyami is out of bounds!” she called. “Rose is the winner!” Ruby let out a heavy sigh that she didn’t even realize she had been holding in. She did it. Somehow, she did it. She crawled off of Tokoyami, holding out her hand and helping him back onto his feet.

“No hard feelings, right?” she asked. If it weren’t for that last move, she very well could’ve lost to him. He was trying so hard to win... Tokoyami nodded, much to her relief.

“You took me by surprise,” he said as both of them began to make their way back into the stadium. “I had expected to be eliminated by Bakugo or Todoroki.”

“Huh?” Ruby understood that they’re pretty strong, but... “why them?”

“Light makes Dark Shadow easier to control, but weaker as well. Both of them are capable of producing it.” Ruby hummed in response to that. That was a new fact learned about Tokoyami… and honestly, it made sense. The more light, the weaker shadows were. And shadows were just about everywhere in the dark.

* * *

Ruby split off from Tokoyami shortly after re-entering the stadium. When she entered the nurse’s office to get the extensive bruising taken care of, part of her felt a bit disappointed that she was the only student there. She had just missed Midoriya, apparently.

She was released fairly quickly. Ruby began to make her way back to 1-A’s box. Hopefully she could catch the next fight. It was… Kirishima vs Bakugo if she remembered right. After seeing Bakugo’s fight with Ochako, Ruby really hoped that she was goin to be facing off against Kirishima. She did not want to die today.

Ruby snapped out of her thoughts when she spotted a familiar head of wild blonde hair attached to a skeleton in the middle of the hallway. “Mr. Yagi!”

Sure enough, it was him. The man let out a choked cough as the student approached him, probably surprised at her sudden appearance.

“Young Ro—” Mr. Yagi coughed slightly again, wiping away something on the corner of his mouth. “Ruby. Did your match finish already?”

“Yup!” Ruby proudly nodded. “I’m going to the semi-finals!”

“Heh, congratulations.” He was giving her a wide, toothy grin. “I’m sure that your father is proud of you for making it this far.”

“I hope so. I’ll have to talk to him about it when I get home.” Mr. Yagi briefly stared at her, as if confused by what the girl just told him.

“He’s not here?” Ruby nodded again.

“Dad had to work today, so he couldn’t make it, but he promised to watch from the agency when he could! And uh… Uncle Qrow doesn’t ‘do crowds’,” Ruby explained. It was a bit sad that some of the most prominent figures in her life couldn’t be there, but… “But Yang’s watching from the stands! She and everyone else.” Mr. Yagi nodded.

“I think I heard her during the earlier competitions…” he mused. Ruby let out a giggle. That sounded like Yang, alright. She could remember her sister coming home from previous Sports Festivals hoarse from cheering for her friends so loudly. “Well, I suppose that Yang’s never been one for being the background… that girl always seems to stand out. Though… this time, she’s not the only one standing out. You’ve been doing well, too.”

Hearing that filled her with joy. “Uh, thank you! I’ve been trying my best. Yang and I have been training for weeks! I think it’s starting to pay off.”

“From what I’ve seen, I say that it has in more ways that one.” Mr. Yagi patted her head, messing up her hair a little. “Your mother would be proud to see how far you’ve come.”

“Thanks…” Ruby smiled, her grin filled with sincerity. A second thought came to mind. “Um, Mr. Yagi? Can I ask you a question? Why… are you here?” Mr. Yagi coughed loudly into the palm of his hand. Ruby knew that it was unnatural for him to be looking for interns, especially with whom he worked for. So why…?

“I… well…” While Mr. Yagi’s friendly demeanor hadn’t dropped, a bit of panic was starting to work its way into it. “It’s a bit complicated. I…” An idea popped into the girl’s head the more she thought about this.

“Oh! Are you here because of Midoriya?” Ruby asked.

That seemed to put Mr. Yagi at ease a little. “In a way, yes. I’m here for all of you students, actually.” He was?

“Are you looking for interns?”

“Not… quite. It’s more about watching you compete and cheering you on. I’m… just a spectator.” A spectator who managed to get into the infirmary? This required a little more… digging. That, and Ruby’s curiosity was starting to get the better of her the more she thought about the earlier circumstances.

“So um… how do you know Midoriya, anyway?” she finally asked. Mr. Yagi seemed to go stiff. “...you do know him, right?” She wasn’t wrong about that, was she? Because if she was, then earlier made no sense.

“I… met him while I was working last year. And… well… we kept in contact,” Mr. Yagi explained. Oh yeah… Ruby almost forgot about the villain incident where both Bakugo got himself caught up in an attack. A classmate had run in to help him. Was that Midoriya? Considering what hero stopped it, it would make sense for the two to meet… “I apologize for not being in touch with you for so long. Things… came up. Personal matters that I had to deal with. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. You have important work to do, right? You do work with All Might after all.”

“Uh, yeah…” Well, that answered one of her questions. But… Why did Recovery Girl not kick him out like he did the others? Answering one question just seemed to bring up so many more.

“But wait. Why—?” Ruby was cut off when Mr. Yagi coughed again. It sounded a little more forced than the others, but she could see a splotch of red on the back of his hand. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Mr. Yagi said quickly. “G-Good luck in your matches, Ruby.”

“Thank you,” he started to walk away from her, a hand still over his mouth. “It was nice talking to you!”

Even if she found out why he was there, Ruby still had so many questions to ask. The gears of her mind started to turn as she walked down the hall. Maybe she should ask Midoriya about it… Wait, was Mr. Yagi hiding something? Midoriya obviously had some sort of secret if what she heard him tell Todoroki meant anything. Maybe Mr. Yagi had something to do with it…? He did work with All Might and Midoriya had some sort of connection to All Might...

_ Smack _ . A locker room door swung open and right into Ruby’s path. She collided with it, the pain enough to snap her out of her thoughts. She rolled back, moaning and rubbing the spot on her nose where the door had struck.

“Ah! Rose! Are you alright?” Ruby looked up. It was Iida. She quickly nodded.

“I’m okay. I’ve had worse… you should’ve seen how many bruises I had when I got my Quirk…” Ruby let out a short laugh, trying to lighten up the situation. He laughed along with her. Ruby felt like it was only done to try and diffuse the fact that he just hit her in the face with a door. After a quick apology, they started walking towards the 1-A box together.

“Congrats on your fight, by the way,” Ruby said, attempting to start a conversation again.

“Thank you. Congratulations to you, too. I never expected Tokoyami to be beaten,” Iida replied. There was a beat before he realized exactly what he had said. Not to say that I didn’t have faith in you, but Dark Shadow is incredibly powerful—

“Yeah… I know.” Ruby was still surprised that she managed to beat him. Thanks to having seen Tokoyami in action during training (and earlier today), Ruby knew how tough Dark Shadow was. Having to face it today just helped prove that fact. “But so is Half-Cold, Half-Hot.”

“Don’t worry about me,” said Iida. “I have a plan when it comes to facing Todoroki in the next round. His attacks are primarily ranged, so—”

“So if you can get in close, you can push him out of the ring like you did with…” Ruby hummed. “I think her name was Shiozaki?”

“I believe so. It’s the easiest way for people with speed Quirks — like you and I — to knock out opponents out of the match and advance.”

“Well, I wish you luck!” Ruby briefly put a skip into her step. “After his fight with Midoriya, I think Todoroki made it certain that he’s gonna be a tough one.” Especially if he used his fire… Ruby doubted that he would use it… much, but still.

“Any idea as to who you’re up against?” Iida asked her as they turned a corner.

“I don’t know,” Ruby replied with a shrug. Last she had checked, Bakugo and Kirishima were still in the middle of their match. She sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m just hoping that it’s Kirishima who wins. After seeing Bakugo fight Ochako, I’m a little… uh… uneasy?”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine. Take a deep breath, slow and steady. Hold it in, and then exhale.” Ruby followed through with his words. It worked, if only a little bit. “It’s a method my brother taught me for helping with my own nerves.”

“You get nervous?” Ruby asked.

“Is it that hard to believe?” said Iida, a bit confused and surprised by what she just said.

“Well… you’re usually so… confident.”

Iida only shrugged. “You’d be surprised. I am human, after all,” he told her. “Anyway, I believe that whoever you’re up against, you’ll do fine, whether it be Kirishima or Bakugo.”

_ I still hope that it’s only Kirishima I have to face…  _ A thought crept up upon her. If she won agin her next match and Iida managed to beat Todoroki… She snickered.

“What is it?” asked Iida, having heard the girl’s laugh.

“I just realized it’s going to be hilarious if we’re the ones who make it to the finals…” Ruby giggled again. “We’ll just be racing around each other.” That got a small chuckle out of him. The two continued walking until the exit back into the arstands was in sight. And Ruby could see someone standing there, watching the current match down below. They were on crutches, with one arm still in a cast, but they were unmistakable. Especially with those wild green curls.

“Midoriya!” Ruby called out.

“Huh?” Midoriya turned, eyes briefly going wide when he saw who was at the end of the hall. “Ro—!” He didn’t even get her name out before Ruby was standing right in front of him, having left a trail of rose petals in her rush to get to him.

“What were you thinking?!” she exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him slightly without much thought.

“Sorry I made you worry…” he shrugged, trying to get Ruby's hands off of him. It didn’t exactly work. “I just…” He avoided her gaze. Ruby sighed. She knew what he was going to say. He couldn’t have sat by and done nothing.

“Yeah, I know.” Ruby pulled back. “But still, you should be more careful when it comes to your Quirk’s backlash.”

“I can handle it…” There was a beat, with Midoriya glancing down at his hand. “Well, five percent of it but…” Five percent? Ruby had seen him use his Quirk at full power before, and that was it.

“That wasn’t five percent.” Midoriya avoided her gaze. It was only now that something dawned on Ruby. Midoriya still had bandages on him. He was still injured, but not as bad as before. “Wait, why aren’t you fully healed?” Jaune had said—

“Recovery Girl only healed me up enough to walk. Something about being reckless with my power…” Midoriya nervously laughed as Iida finally caught up. Ruby looked down. The fingers on Midoriya’s right hand were now crooked. A pair of scars hugged at his hand’s sides. Her brows knit together with concern.

_ Midoriya…  _ She understood why he had done it. Izuku Midoriya was a hero though-and-though, often putting his own safety on the line just to save others. And that’s what heroes did. But Ruby sometimes wished he thought some of his plans through and didn't get himself hurt as much.

“I take it that your surgery must have gone well then,” said Iida, finally joining the conversation. “I’m glad.”

“Yeah. Thank you!” said Midoriya. “And congrats on your win. Both of you.”

Ruby forced herself to put on a short smile. “Thanks.”

“Rose and I were just talking about that,” Iida told him. “I watched your fight with Todoroki closely. Maybe I can learn from it.”

“Yeah…” Midoriya glanced down at his hand before turning to Iida. “Is Ingenium excited that you’ve blown through the bracket? He must be so proud of his little brother.”

Iida hummed before replying. “I’m not sure. I called him earlier, but he was working.”

“Oh. Sorry.”

“It's a common thing with Pro families,” Ruby explained before Iida could get a word of his own out. “Maybe he’s in the middle of fighting a villain. Or didn’t hear his phone go off.” Ruby herself had lost count of how many times that happened with her and her sister… unless it was an emergency, anyway. Then the phone was always picked up.

“Wait, Rose,” Midoriya was staring at her now. In fact, both he and Iida were, although the latter seemed less confused by what she had just said. “How do you know that?”

“Huh? Oh.” Right… Outside of Todoroki and the teachers, she suspected that no one else really knew. Or at least hadn’t figured it out yet. “My dad and uncle are Pro Heroes. They’re Golden Dragon and Harbinger.” Midoriya’s jaw dropped while Iida seemed unfazed by the revelation.

“I had a feeling you were from a Pro family,” he said. Well, that explained his reaction. “I just didn’t want to pry.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind talking about it, actually. It’s just kind of… normal for me…” Sad as it was sometimes… Ruby glanced over at her green-haired friend when she heard faint murmurs. “Midoriya? You’re muttering.” Midoriya blinked, snapping out of his thoughts.

“Sorry. That just… explains a couple of things, actually,” he said, leaning back against the railing. “...I have so many questions to ask you when the festival is over.”

“And I will answer any one of them as long as they are not personal.”

Midoriya nodded. “Deal! Either way, it’s kind of sad that you guys are used to something like that.” Ruby just shrugged. When you grew up with it, it became unable to phase you, really.

“It’s probably for the best that my brother didn’t answer,” said Iida, returning his attention to the fight down below. “When we do talk, maybe I’ll get to tell him that I won.” Midoriya softly smiled.

“ _ Bakugo is countering again! _ ” Mic's burst of commentary returned Ruby’s and Midoriya’s focus down to the fight below. “ _ But what’s this? It seems to be working this time!” _

He was right. Kirishima’s hardening kept him from getting hurt by turning his skin to stone. There was no doubt in Ruby’s mind that it was able to withstand the force of Bakugo’s Quirk, which was probably the reason they were on a team together for the cavalry battle. But now, Kirishima’s Quirk was waning. One explosion actually managed to do some damage.

Parts of Kirishima’s body were starting to unharden themselves. He was running low on stamina, Ruby could guess that much. He couldn’t keep this up for long. Bakugo struck with a large explosion that Kirishima managed to block, but that seemed to be the last of it. Baugo then let loose an unrelenting barrage, forcing Kirishima to go past his limit. And with one final, boom, Kirishima went down.

“Kirishima has been knocked out. Bakugo is the winner!” Midnight called. While the crowd cheers, Ruby’s face went pale. Kirishima lost. Which meant that… she looked up at the board displaying the tournament’s brackets. 

“ _ With that vicious carpet bombing, Bakugo advances to the third round! Ladies and Gentlemen, our final four! _ ” Todoroki's, Iida’s, Ruby’s and Bakugo’s images were displayed on the screen for the entire arena to see. And seeing that… Ruby felt herself get rooted to the floor.

“Right,” said Iida. “We’re off.” He started to walk away, but Ruby remained in place. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the tournament bracket as it filled the screen again. Both Iida and Midoriya stared at her. “Rose, are you coming?” She didn’t say anything.

“Hey, are you okay?” Midoriya asked, a hand on her shoulder. Ruby still didn’t answer. He followed her gaze towards the bracket. It was only then that his own face fell. “Oh, the semi-finals… Kacchan’s match is against—”

“Me,” Ruby finished for him, having finally found her words. While Iida would be facing Todoroki in the semi-finals, she…!

Her next fight was going to be against Katsuki Bakugo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fact of the Day: In the original draft of Peace Sign, Ruby wasn't supposed to beat Tokoyami. He was supposed to win their fight, and the rest of the Sports Festival would continue on as it did in canon. However, I'm not sure what put the idea in my head, but it was some realization that Ruby would fight Bakugo if she beat Tokoyami. And I really wanted her to fight Bakugo.
> 
> So we get the next fight simply because "why the heck not". It's my fic, I can do what I want.
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Thirteen: Ruby vs. Katsuki
> 
> I'm really excited for this one...


	13. Ruby vs. Katsuki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight Ruby has dreaded has finally come. Can she beat Bakugo and make it to the finals? Or will this be her last match?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains a rather intense fight between teenagers and description of injury.
> 
> And also one of the best dads.
> 
> I'm hyped up for this chapter, so here we go! It's Ruby v. Bakugo!

As she paced back and forth in the waiting room, Ruby could hear Todoroki’s and Iida’s fight waging on in the arena. Or at least her teacher’s commentary on it. Normally, Present Mic’s cheerful tone would help put her at ease. But today… today it did nothing.

She has to fight Bakugo. Katsuki Bakugo. The guy whom she could not have gotten off on the worst foot with when school began. She hadn’t seen what he did to Midoriya during the mock battle, but she did get the general picture of it later. And that was only the start of it. She had seen him fight during USJ, and his fight against Ochako… All of them proved that Bakugo didn’t hold back, no matter what.

...which meant that he wouldn’t hold back against her. Ruby was nervous… and she was scared. Kirishima at least had his Quirk to protect him from getting hurt. All Ruby had were genetics. The Xiao Long family’s Quirks usually had a side-effect of lighting their hair on fire. Overtime, they built a natural resistance to this flame. Ruby only hoped she got that from her dad. Then again, Bakugo hadn’t exactly burned anyone yet… at least not to Ruby’s knowledge. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all—

The door to the waiting room then suddenly swung open, making Ruby jump and yelp. She was the only one supposed to be in here right now. So why did—?! She spun around, freezing when she saw who had exactly opened the door.

“Hey, little sis.” Standing there in the doorway were not only Yang, but two more of Ruby’s friends as well: the white-haired Weiss Schnee and the cat-eared Blake Belladonna. Ruby stared at hte older girls for a moment before a grin broke out on her face.

“Hey, guys!” Ruby rushed up to them, with Yang catching her and messing up her hair. Why did everyone seem to be doing that today? Didn’t matter, friends were here. Friends were good. Wait— “What are you doing here?”

“What?” said Weiss as Ruby pulled away, smoothing out the younger’s hair. “You didn’t think we were going to wish you luck?”

“Eh, it took us a while to get back here, but I think we got a decent pass this time,” said Yang. Ruby looked past the three of them.

“Where is everyone else?” she asked.

“Pyrrha’s boss is here, so she went to talk to him about potential interns,” explained Blake. “And…” She glanced at the other two. Yang seemed unsure how to explain it, leaving Weiss to take the initiative.

“We lost track of Ren and Nora,” she said, “so the others went looking for them.” Ah. The arena was pretty big. Ruby didn’t exactly blame them for not making it here. Hopefully she would see them before the festival ended.

“Mirio, Nejire and Tamaki wish you good luck,” Yang concluded. “Hopefully they make it back here to tell you that. But, the four of us managed to get back here to see you!”

Ruby blinked. “Four?” she repeated, getting a nod from Yang. But there were only the three of them here. Unless Jaune somehow managed to get away from the infirmary long enough to—

A very familiar voice that Ruby didn’t expect to hear until she got home echoed out from the hallway. “Hey, girls. Maybe slow down a bit next time?” Yang leaned back, using the door frame to keep herself from falling.

“You’re a Pro Hero,” said Ruby’s sister in a teasing manner, “how come you can’t keep up with us?”

“Uh, because I didn't expect you to run like that?” Ruby’s eyes widened when they finally saw who exactly Yang was talking to. Taiyang Xiao Long — Ruby’s own father — was standing there. He was actually there, dressed head-to-toe in his hero suit. He turned to his youngest. “Hey, Ruby. Congrats on making it this far.”

“Dad!” Doing her best to hold back her Quirk, Ruby dashed up to Taiyang, hugging him tightly. She heard her father chuckle as he returned the favor. “I thought you weren’t going to…!” She hadn’t thought he would see him today, not even at home. He was supposed to be working today, after all. That’s what he had sadly told her that morning.

“Thank your Uncle Qrow next time you see him. He’s holding down the fort for the day so I can be here. There was no way I was going to miss your first Sports Festival.” Taiyang pulled away from his daughter, ruffling her hair. “Ruby, you’ve made it so far, and I—”

Ruby’s face fell. “I don’t think I’m going to make it much farther.”

“Ruby?” Ruby glanced up at Blake. “Is everything okay?” The young girl sighed.

“I’m just… It's just… who I’m up against. It’s Bakugo.”

“Bakugo?”

“The boy with the Explosion Quirk.” Ruby mimed her classmate’s Quirk for those in the room. “He blew up that meteor shower in the first round.”

“Wait, is it that same first year I had to pull away from you because you blew him up?” asked Weiss, her tone taking a turn as her brow raised. “Well, he blew you up.”

Taiyang straightened up. “What?” he said, his tone edging on the defensive. Ruby sighed. In order to keep him from worrying, Ruby only told Yang about what had happened on that first day. And to avoid… well, papa bear from coming out.

“Long story. But yeah…” Ruby groaned. “You saw his fights! He doesn’t hold back. I’m just…” She stared at the floor. “What if I don’t win? What if I don’t…”

“Ruby, you’re better than him,” said Weiss, cutting off the first year. “Both in strength and in attitude.”

Yang slung her arm around her sister’s shoulders. “He’s just an angry pomeranian,” she said, reminding Ruby of her own words.

“With a wicked bite,” Blake added. Ruby held back a groan at that reminder, tensing up under Yang’s touch.

“Blake!” That was probably not the best thing to say when giving a pep talk.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Blake was often blunt and to the point. After three years, Ruby was used to it. “I meant…”

“I know,” said Ruby with a sigh. “I have to be careful.” Blake swallowed something down before nodding. Being careful was number one here. Especially with Bakugo’s Quirk. She didn’t have Kirishima’s Hardening. She can’t protect herself like he could against Bakugo’s blasts. At least, that’s what she assumed allowed him to last in the ring with Bakugo for so long.

Her father sighed, finally stepping into the room with the rest of the girls. “Ruby, there’s nothing to worry about,” he said, getting ruby to look up at him. “Remember, you—”

“You have to remember what the Sports Festival is about,” cut in Weiss. What the Sports Festival was all about…?

“Mr. Aizawa said that the festival was one of the most important things for us. It’s a huge opportunity to get Pros to notice us…” Ruby said, staring at the floor. She swallowed something down in her throat. “...and if we want to go Pro ourselves, we have to get the attention of a good agency.” Thinking about that didn’t exactly help much. It just reminded Ruby what was at stake here. She had to put in her all to accomplish it, just like her friends were.

“He’s…” Taiyang sighed, “not wrong, but Ruby—”

“It is an incredible opportunity,” said Blake, not letting Taiyang finish his sentence, “And now that you’ve made it this far, all eyes are going to be on you.”

“And Bakugo…” Ruby groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “I’m doomed.”

Taiyang leaned against the doorframe. “Ruby,” part of him sounded sad to hear her say that, “you’re not—”

“Don’t sweat it, Ruby,” said Yang, cutting her father off. “You’re way tougher than this guy.” Ruby looked up at her sister.

“You haven’t been paying attention to his fights, have you?” she asked. Yang sighed.

“I have, but I also know that you’re faster than him. And you had the best trainers, two of which, I might add, are actual Pro Heroes.” It was Ruby’s turn to sigh. She was grateful for the training she got from her family, but...

Ruby sighed again, “Yeah, but—” She was cut off as Weiss put her hand on her shoulder.

“Ruby, you've got this,” the white-haired girl told her. Her words and tone with both reassuring, but...

“They're right. You can out run him easily,” added Blake. “If you run fast enough, you can dodge his explosions and…”

“Literally kick his ass,” Yang finished with a wicked smirk. 

Taiyang’s eyes narrowed. “Yang,” he said fimly, arms crossed. If there was one thing that both he and the teachers shared in common, it was the fact that Yang seemed to have no filter when it came to her vocabulary. Yang glanced back at her father.

“What? There’s no teachers around.” Ruby sighed for what felt like the fifth time in less than five minutes. They were right, and she knew that they were only trying to cheer her up and help her, but...

“I mean, I guess,” she said, “but…” Ruby bit down on her lip as she thought back to the USJ. Back then, she saw how quick Bakugo’s reflexes were when the moment mattered. A villain had tried to jump her, him and Kirishima, but Bakugo was able to blast him before he could lay a hand on the kids. His reaction time was insane.

Ruby was snapped back to the present when she felt her father’s hand on her shoulder.

“Ruby, look at me,” Taiyang said, voice gentle and kind as he got down on his knees, doing his best to get at Ruby’s eye level. “I—” This time, he was cut off by the loudspeakers crackling to life, the static silencing those in the room.

“ _Iida has been immobilized!_ ” echoed Midnight’s voice from said speaker, “ _Todoroki is the winner!_ ” Well… time was up. There was nothing left she could do to delay the inevitable. She was going to have to face Bakugo now.

“And that’s my cue,” said Ruby, feeling her nerves rush to make their return as her father stood. “I gotta go.” The girls began to file out of the room.

“We’ll be watching from the stands,” Weiss reminded her.

“Good luck,” said Blake simply.

“Kick his ass, Ruby!” Yang told her with a proud grin. “Show that guy you’re not someone to mess with!” Ruby let out a chuckle, hoping it did the job at hiding how anxious she actually was. It seemed to do the trick, with the three 3-A girls leaving almost as seamlessly as they came.

“Hey,” Taiyang’s hold on his daughter’s shoulder tightened by the slightest bit and getting her to stop.. His touch was calming, reassuring and solid. Ruby looked up at him. “Just do your best out there, alright?”

She nodded, muttering a small “okay,” before leaving the waiting room and making her way to the field.

* * *

As Ruby Rose stepped out onto the stage, she could hear her heart rapidly beating in her ears. The screams of the cheering crowd were merely white noise, mostly being drowned out by the commentary for the next fight.

“ _Up next is a match-up that you’ve been waiting for!_ ” shouted Present Mic as the two contestants made it onto the stage. “ _The speedy red riding hood, Ruby Rose, vs the explosive hothead of 1-A, Katsuki Bakugo!_ ”

Ruby eased her way into her usual combat position. Bakugo looked far more confident than her, palms splayed and ready for an attack. And honestly, Ruby felt less confident than usual when it came to fighting situations. but still. Determination was keeping her from falling apart completely. She was going to win this.

“By the time I’m done with you, you’ll wish that I had gone easy!” Bakugo growled, finally close enough for Ruby to hear him. Ruby swallowed down something that was building in her throat.

“I doubt it…!” Ruby shot back, trying her best to keep her fear from showing. She had to give it her all. She had to show the world what she was made of. This was probably her last opportunity to make a statement. There was no way she could lose now!

_It’s like Blake said. All I have to do is dodge!_

Midnight called it. “Begin!”

Bakugo made the first move. He blasted towards Ruby, throwing a right hook at her. Ruby reacted quickly, spinning on her heel and meeting his fist with her foot. A jolt was sent up her leg from the collision and Ruby dashed back a little, with Bakugo pushing off of her to do the same.

Ruby closed the distance between them quickly. She dashed towards Bakugo in a burst of petals, aiming for his feet in an attempt to knock him over. He leapt over it, firing off an explosion that Ruby dodged out of the way off, skidding back a little. They met again, Ruby’s speed helping her dodge Bakugo’s repeated attempt to blow her away.

She wasn’t quick enough to dodge all of them, though. Bakugo’s palm met her stomach, and he activated his Quirk. The resulting explosion blew Ruby back, but not before she landed a sharp kick to the back of his knee in the process. He dropped in surprise as Ruby rotated her body in the air, landing on her feet on the other side of the stage. She looked up at him and grinned.

Judging by the look on his face, he hadn’t expected her to actually hit him at all, despite having seen her fight before.

After that, well… Bakugo didn’t relent for a second. As soon as the two collided with each other again, he fired explosion after explosion at her, only for Ruby to dodge each of them. She slid around the stage, getting behind Bakugo and dropping low to try and kick his leg out from underneath. Bakugo’s instincts won out.

He blocked her blow with a boom, pushing her down to the ground and blasting himself away from her. Ruby quickly got back to her feet, rushing towards Bakugo in a burst of rose petals. Her speed giving her an advantage, Ruby struck, her foot digging into his stomach and knocking him even further back. Bakugo grimaced at the pain of it, but managed to steel himself long enough to blast Ruby back with explosions from both of his palms.

Ruby was thrown back again. She skidded against the concrete, barely managing to keep herschel in bounds. With another flowery burst, she ran towards Bakugo. His reflexes were quick, but they weren’t quick enough. Ruby managed to get behind him, spinning on her toes with her heel aimed towards Bakugo’s back.

He wasn’t quick enough to stop her from getting into that position, but he was quick enough to dodge. Bakugo leapt back, with Ruby’s heel only grazing his jacket. He was good. Really good. Ruby swallowed down the growing ball of nerves that was threatening to rise again. No, she has to focus on the fight. She couldn’t think about anything else. She couldn’t afford to.

Bakugo left himself open, preparing to blast Ruby away from him again. She rushed forward, her Quirk giving her just the speed she needed to bypass Bakugo’s reflexes again. She leapt out of the way of his blast, twirling away from only to come back and get a solid hit on his arm. Ruby spun again, using a bit of momentum to make her hits harder, but Bakugo dropped low. He rolled out of the way of Ruby’s attack. Her foot only met concrete, a brief shock rocking up her leg as it did so.

Ruby swiveled around as Bakugo stood, landing a strong kick to his stomach to push him back. She rushed him with a burst of rose petals, hoping that her kick had been enough to stun him long enough for her to knock him out of the ring. 

It wasn’t. Ruby was met with a fist hitting her cheek, and an minor explosion to her stomach that threw her back. She got back on her feet and Bakugo blasted towards her. Ruby ducked under a series of explosions, dodging them the best she could while trying to land a hit on Bakugo. One lucky blast caught her, throwing her far enough that it nearly knocked her off the stage. The crowd cheered as she managed to remain in bounds.

Ruby dashed towards her opponent, using the momentum to put a stronger force behind her latest blow. She swung her leg at Bakugo, striking his forearms rather than her actual target. He threw her leg off of him the same time Ruby pushed off of it. She leapt in the air, bringing down her other leg to try and get him to stay down. He dodged that, taking a step back so that her foot hit the solid stone.

She did her best to ignore the shock the reverberated up her leg again as she spun on her heel, usi her other leg to try and kick him again. Bakugo dodged it with little effort. He jumped at her, a blast from his hand getting close enough to make Ruby’s ears ring. 

Before she realized what was going on, Bakugo had tackled her to the ground, grabbing her wrists in one hand and pinning them above her head. The other palm was sparking. He smirked, eyes narrowed.

“Give up,” said Bakugo, his voice so certain of his victory as he leaned in a little closer, “Little Red?” Little… Red? Silver eyes widened as the nickname, and Ruby felt her breath hitch in her throat. Little Red…

_Ruby could hear the echo of slowly approaching footsteps._

_"Here, Little Red—"_

Ruby felt Bakugo’s grip on her wrists loosen. He was staring at her now, having backed off despite still pinning her to the ground. His smirk was gone. For some reason, he was hesitating. Ruby’s eyes narrowed.

“You wish!” she shouted. She kicked herself into overdrive, taking advantage of Bakugo’s moment of hesitation. She slipped her hands out of his grasp before grabbing his wrist and throwing him off of her. As he got back on his feet, Ruby spun against the floor. She swung her leg, striking Bakugou in the side and sending him flying towards the boundary line.

Ruby flipped herself onto all fours so she could push herself up and grinned. She dusted off her clothes. Well.. that was easier than she thought. Almost too easy… and why wasn’t the match being called?

She felt a pit drop into her stomach when she heard a telltale scream from Bakugo. Her grin disappeared. She turned just in time for him to rocket at her with a momentous explosion from his palms. Another well-aimed explosion sent Ruby backwards. She skidded along the ground, stopping just outside of the border.

Ruby grit her teeth. She rushed towards Bakugo in a burst of rose petals. However, she greatly underestimated Bakugo’s speed. He managed to avoid the first kick with a small side-step, but that was it. The best of them were countered by his own Quirk. It became an unrelenting torrent of explosions and rose petals. And with each attack, Ruby felt her skin get hotter and hotter.

She didn’t realize why until Bakugo managed to strike her in the stomach. The blow stunned her, and allowed him to use an explosion to send her back away from him. Ruby hit the ground on her back with a heavy grunt. She scrambled to get back on her feet. Pain burned at her skin. She only dropped back down to her knees. Ruby looked down at her body.

Whether it was because of adrenaline or her intense focus, Ruby didn’t realize what exactly Bakugo’s barrage had done to her. Angry red burns were flaring on her skin, with the most pain being from her legs. Her jacket was blown apart, and her pants looked more like shorts now. Even though she couldn’t see it, she had to bet that there were some minor burns on her face, too. But still, Ruby tried to get up. Her burns screamed in retaliation.

 _No…!_ She couldn’t… She couldn’t give up now!

“Rose,” Ruby glanced up at Midnight. Her teacher’s expression was like stone, serious and cold. “Can you move?”

“I…” Ruby bit back a cry as she tried to move. It hurt… It hurt so much…!

“Young lady, I will pull you out myself. I won’t have any more students collapsing. Can you fight?” Midnight wasn’t taking any chances. Ruby looked up at Bakugo. Summoning all her strength, she pushed herself to her feet, eyes burning about as much as her injuries. She didn’t remain standing for long. Ruby’s legs were screaming as her knees gave out. She dropped back to the ground, tears pricking the corners of her eyes from how much it burned. Midnight sighed, raising her hand.

“Rose is no longer fit to battle!” she announced. “Bakugo’s the winner of this match!”

“ _That means our final fight will be between Todoroki and Bakugo!_ ” The crowd cheered at Present Mic’s announcement. Ruby groaned. Her one shot… she had an opportunity, but even after coming this far… she didn’t surpass anything. She didn’t go beyond. If anything, she…!

A hand came into her view. Ruby looked up. Bakugo didn’t wait for her to accept. He took Ruby by the arm and roughly pulled her back onto her feet. Though she was shaking horribly and it hurt, she managed to stay up with Bakugo’s support.

She offered him a shaky smile. “Heh… Congrats, Bakugo.”

“Tch.” Bakugo’s hand went to her shoulder as she started to slip out of his hold. She could feel warm sparks coming from his sweaty palms. Midnight was rushing into the ring, making her away towards the two students. 

“Dumbass,” he said simply and low enough for only her to hear. When their teacher was close enough, Bakugo pushed Ruby towards her. Ruby stumbled a little before Midnight caught her, preventing her from falling again.

“Ow…” Okay, that kind of hurt... “Hopefully I have better luck next time—!”

“There’s not going to be a next time, Red.” Ruby’s grin finally gave away as Bakugo walked past her. 

“Huh?” She shifted her weight onto Midnight, turning a little to face her classmate. “Wait, Bakugo, what’re you…?” He was already gone. The crowd was still cheering, Ruby could only hear it as white noise as she was led off the stage. 

What Bakugo just said… There wasn’t going to be a next time? What was that all about?

* * *

Neo was at a loss for words. It wasn’t like she had any in the first place, but even her mind was blank in this moment. She stared at the screen as the Sports Festival semi-finals finished with a loud bang. The umpire called the match, going to help that girl. Neo stared at the injuries on her body. They looked like they hurt. She hoped that they hurt. The amount of pain that the girl was in didn’t matter, though. That fight...

She lost. It meant one thing for Neo. That girl was beatable. Her speed Quirk wasn’t all that she thought it was cut out to be. Enough power could take her down… as long as it was used properly.

She thought back to the news report that played for days after the USJ attack. She knew the name of the organization that Roman contracted with. They might have been the reason that Roman was now gone, but their leaders were the only ones to make it out of the attack without being caught. It was most likely that their current move was to lay low for now until things quieted down. And then… they would need to build up their forces again.

And that boy seemed to be a fairly tough opponent for her. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that that group had someone with that level of power among their ranks. Someone who was quick enough to match her for speed, and someone with enough power to make sure that she couldn’t use hers. A smile crept up on Neo’s face as the gears in her mind began to turn.

She had an idea. Neo shut the laptop with a loud click. She pulled on her shoes and rushed towards the door. Neo left the room with a smirk on her face that could possibly rival Roman’s. She was going to find this so-called “League of Villains” if it was the last thing she would ever do.

* * *

Midnight took advantage of the brief lull before the final match started. She didn’t let go of Ruby, and even ended up carrying the girl towards the infirmary as her burns screamed. Why she did this, Ruby had no idea, but part of her was grateful for her teacher’s presence and reassurance that she tried. The moment Ruby entered the infirmary, she heard something clatter to the floor.

“Ruby!” Jaune cried out in an incredibly worried tone, already rushing towards the girl.

“I’m fine,” Ruby said quickly, trying her best to reassure him as he took her from Midnight. Actually she wasn’t fine. She just fought Bakugo.

Jaune helped her onto a nearby cot, where the school’s nurse quickly got to work. With a simple kiss from Recovery Girl, Ruby could feel the worst of her winds start to heal up. When her energy drained, she was handed off to Jaune for the rest of her treatment. At that point, her burns weren’t as severe as they were before, and it didn’t hurt to move as much.

Ruby sighed, leaning back on the cot as she watched Jaune’s Quirk at work. The bright white aura glowing from his hands reflected on her legs — the only burns that had remained — one at a time. Slowly, the red started to disappear. It felt cool, like a pool in summer and brought her relief.

“I can’t believe that Midnight let it go this far,” said Jaune. At least he didn’t sound like he was freaking out anymore.

“Todoroki and Midoriya went pretty far…” Ruby reminded him with a bit of a grumble. They went further than she and Bakugo had. They literally almost blew up the stadium.

“That’s not the point!” A bit more energy went into healing her wounds as Jaune’s hands briefly glowed brighter. He managed to reel it back, struggling to keep the output steady enough as to not cause an overflow. “And you still wanted to fight!”

Ruby pouted. “I could have.”

“No, you couldn’t have.” She heard Jaune sigh. “You couldn’t even _stand_ , Ruby. I don’t doubt that you would've kept fighting. I think that knowing you, you would have kept going. And that’s why Midnight pulled you out. This is a sports festival, not a villain fight.” Ruby looked up at him. Jaune went still as stone. “...I shouldn’t have said that. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m just…” Ruby bit back a groan, leaning back against the bed’s thin mattress. Jaune glanced up at her.

“Ruby?”

“I…” She wasn’t sure what to say. It hurt to even think about. Fortunately, she didn’t have to at the moment. Ruby sat up as she heard the door to the infirmary open. There was some scuffing and voices on the other side of the curtain that separates Ruby and Jaune from the front of the room. The two students exchanged looks with each other. Ruby recognized most of those voices, but with the way they were overlapping one another, it was hard to tell who they belonged to. Finally, the door shut again and the curtain was pulled back. Taiyang had made it back to see his daughter.

“So,” Jaune returned his attention to Ruby’s healing burns as Taiyang pulled up a chair next to him, “what’s going on up there?”

“Yang, the girls and I guess some of Ruby’s friends were trying to check up on her,” Taiyang explained, glancing back at the door. “They’re students, so they’re not allowed past a certain point. They are worried about you though. You uh…huh. Seeing those burns kind of scared all of us.” Ruby sighed, leaning back against the cot again.

“It _was_ Bakugo,” she said. “I didn’t expect anything else from him.” Especially after seeing his fights with Ochako and Kirishima. Jaune sighed.

“I don’t want Yang to meet this kid…” he said. He pushed back the leg he had been working on. The bright splotches of red were now gone, and Ruby could no longer feel any stinging pain from it. Aune swiveled around to the bed’s other side, taking a hold of Ruby’s other ankle. “Hold still.” Ruby did as she was told, allowing Jaune to continue with his work.

“Yeah, I think if those two fought, it would probably destroy half of the school,” she said, continuing their conversation. Of course, that was blowing it out of the water, but the amount of damage those two could do wouldn’t be pretty.

“Still,” Taiyang glanced down at the burns that Jaune was taking care of. “That kid could learn to hold back against his classmates.” Ruby only shrugged.

“Eh, It’s probably my fault,” she said. “I’m too fast.” Bakugo was fast in his own right, but he wasn’t _that_ fast.

“He’s right though,” said Jaune. “That kid is too… uh…” he shrugged a little, “hardcore, I guess.”

“You haven’t seen him fight villains.” Bakugo did not hold back against them at USj, even going as far as to knock multiple out… just like he had done with his two prior opponents. Ruby sighed, wanting to sink into the bed and disappear. “I just… I wish I could’ve done better. I didn’t feel like I did the best I could have. Sorry, Dad. I guess I wasn’t good enough to… go beyond.”

“I’m still proud of you, Ruby,” said Taiyang. That...

Ruby looked up at her dad. “You’re not… disappointed?”

“Disappoint…” To Ruby’s immense confusion, her dad laughed and shook his head. “No, of course not. Why did you think that I would be disappointed?” Ruby opened her mouth to reply, but felt herself stammering over her words. He wasn’t… “What? Did you think that we did well in our first Sports Festival? The only one whoever won was your mom, and that wasn’t until her third year when she clocked Qrow in the jaw and tackled me over the border.”

Ruby giggled at that, leaning forward a little. “She did?” Her dad laughed as well, nodding.

“She apologized profusely for hitting us so hard, but yeah. She did. Our first year, though…” A look of nostalgia took over Taiyang’s eyes. “We all had some pretty bad luck. Only half of us made it to the third round. None of us placed that year, either.”

“If it helps, I’ve never done good in a sports festival,” added Jaune. “I did what your friend did to himself and kind of…” Jaune glanced down at his own arm and sighed, “knocked myself out of the running early on my first year.”

“I remember that…” said Ruby, a bit of a nostalgic smile. It was painful to watch back then, but it led to Jaune training harder to become a better hero. It even led to him befriending Pyrrha when she offered to train with him after the festival.

“And only Pyrrha and Yang have made it this far last year, too.” Ruby’s smile fell.

“And they got good internships…” Pyrrha even managed to catch the attention of the number four Pro Hero. Number Four! Ruby doubted that she could get the attention of someone that high up on the hero charts. Especially after _that_ performance.

“Ruby,” said Taiyang with a bit of disbelief, “is that what this is all about?” Swallowing something down in her throat, Ruby slowly nodded.

“Standing out was… the only chance I had to get a good agency’s attention. And winning the Sports Festival would have…” She bit her lip to stop herself. It would've been the best way to do that.

“You don’t need to stand out to catch a good hero’s attention,” Jaune told her. Ruby glared at him.

“That’s easy for you to say. You work for Dad.” There was a bit of favoritism on his part there. It wasn’t the reason he worked with STRQ, but to Ruby at the moment, it might as well have been. Jaune sighed.

“...I kinda put my foot in my mouth, didn’t I?”

“A little bit,” said Taiyang.

Ruby groaned, pulling her healed leg up to her chest and burying her face in her knee. “I failed,” she said, simple and true.

“Ruby, you didn’t fail,” said Jaune, trying to reassure her. His grip on her ale eased as well. “You got third place. That’s better than any one of us has managed to get yet. Especially in our first year. It’s like your dad said, it’s amazing that you got this far.” She supposed...

“Jaune’s right, you know.” Ruby felt her father's hand on his shoulder. “Ruby, it’s like I was trying to tell you earlier. I’m so proud of you for how far you made it.” Ruby lifted her head, resting her chin on her knee. “So you lost. It's not a big deal. This is just your first opportunity. There are plenty more out there for you to show the world what you can do. You’re going to be an amazing hero, Ruby. And after all you’ve been through, I think everyone knows just how determined you are to be that. And who says that you didn’t stand out? You fought as hard as heck, you worked hard during each event. You used your head, you fought and even though you didn’t win, you did your best. And the kind of spirit you showed off today is exactly what heroes look for. “

Ruby softly smiled. Her father’s words were kind and reassuring. It felt like he always knew just what to say when it came to his kids and what they were going through. Or what was going on in their heads that they couldn’t get away from. Trying to hide the tears building in her eyes, she grabbed her dad by the shirt and pulled him in close to her. She felt Taiyang's arms wrap around her in return. 

“Thanks, Dad,” she said, her voice low and muffled by her dad’s shirt. He may not have realized it at the time, but that was exactly what she needed to hear.

* * *

It took a few more minutes for Jaune to completely take care of the rest of Ruby’s burns. It took another couple for her to say goodbye to her father, promising to meet with him after the day was done instead of going home on the train as usual. Overall, it took longer than needed for Ruby to be released from the infirmary. It took her a shorter amount of time to change out of the blasted-up uniform and into a new one.

Ruby made her way back to the 1-A box, her singed uniform balled up in her hands. Honestly, the talk with her father made her feel better than she had felt before. Both mentally and physically. All she really had to do was get right to her old uniform… why didn’t she throw it out while she was changing…?

“Rose!” called out one voice as Ruby exited the stadium’s hallways. “Ruby!” called out another at the same time. Ruby stopped short. From the wings of the stands came Ochako and Midoriya, the pair rushing (well, as best as they could considering Midoriya was still injured from his fight). 

“Ruby, are you okay?!” Ochako asked, not doing much to hide how worried she was.

“Yeah, I'm fine,” Ruby replied, shoving the remains of her old uniform into her pockets, keeping her fingers crossed her friends didn’t notice her doing so. “Jaune healed me up nice and good! Remind me to be careful when facing Bakugo in training. He goes hard. Still can't believe I made it this far, though…” Ruby looked at the two. Wait, two? She had thought... “Um, hey. Where's Iida?” Both Midoriya and Ochako stayed quiet, exchanging worried looks with each other. That did not bode well. “Guys, where’s Iida?”

“Iida…” Midoriya exchanged a look with Ochako, “He had to leave. A…” He swallowed something down. “A villain got his older brother.”

Ruby felt a pit drop into her stomach. “Ingenium?! Is he okay?” A worse thought came to mind. “He’s not…?!”

“I don’t think so.” Ruby let out a small sigh at Midoriya’s answer. That was good. That was a good thing. He was stil alive. “But Iida had to leave right away.” Ruby felt something in her chest twist with worry.

 _Iida…_ She sincerely hoped that everything was okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! As much as I'm willing to bet that people wanted Ruby to beat Bakugo, she's not quite at the level yet where she can. Besides, Bakugo winning the Sports Festival is quite important when it comes to the Training Camp later on.
> 
> I also apologize for the probable out of character moment of Bakugo pulling her up. I wanted to put something in there to help show a minor shift in their relationship after the USJ fight. Nothing too big, but he does see her as a worthy opponent. She just needs to train harder.
> 
> Anyway... we're halfway through volume 2! I want to thank everyone who's stuck with me so far. Thanks for all your kudos, comments and general support!!
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Fourteen: The Sports Festival Finale!
> 
> This one should be pretty self-explanatory


	14. The Sports Festival Finale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite being out of the running, there's still one fight left for the first years' stage of the Sports Festival. Later on, Ruby breaks a promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains Bakugo v. Todoroki, so there will be explosions and children knocked unconscious. And an almost feral Bakugo at the end.
> 
> But yeah! Here we are at the finale of the Sports festival arc! I hope that you all enjoyed it. However, this story isn't done yet. We're only a little over halfway through with this fic, and as of right now, I have about... five out of seven chapters of the next arc written out.
> 
> Anyway, on with the story!

The entire stadium was cheering in excitement at the final match. After a brief period to repair the stage (and heal any injuries the students might have received in prior fights,) it was soon time. Ruby quickly returned to the 1-A box with her friends, sans Iida. They watched as both Bakugo and Todoroki took to the field. Knowing how hard these two had been fighting this far… Ruby had no doubt this match was going to be an interesting one.

“ _ Welcome to the final battle of the U.A. High School Sports Festival! In just a moment here, we’ll see which first years come out on top! Yes, it all comes down to this, folks! _ ” called out Present Mic from the stands, somehow managing to hype up the crowd even further as the two 1-A students took to the ring. “ _ From the hero course, Shouto Todoroki. Versus his classmate, Katsuki Bakugo! _ ” The crowd loudly cheered. “ _ Now begin! _ ”

Todoroki acted quickly. He slammed his hand down on the floor of the ring, a giant wave of ice sprawling out from his palm and rushing towards Bakugo. Bakugo did his best to defend himself, letting out a flurry of explosions to destroy as much of the ice as he could. But like he had said earlier, Quirks were physical abilities. They could get worn out. And there was no way that Bakugo would be able to keep up with Todoroki. In seconds, the ice encased him.

“ _ Todoroki starts with a crazy ice blast! _ ” announced an amazed Present Mic. “ _ Bakugo seems to have been completely buried! Is it possible we’ve already got a winner down there? _ ” That was… actually pretty quick. Ruby expected a bit more… well, she was expecting another repeat of her first day of school.

“This isn’t like when he attacked Sero.” Ruby perked up as Midoriya spoke. “The ice just now was more controlled. He’s being cautious.”

“Cautious?” she asked, getting a nod as a response.

“After seeing what Kacchan could do to opponents like you and Uraraka, I don’t blame him.”

Ruby hummed, leaning forward in her seat a little. “it’s smart though. If Bakugo can’t use his hands, he’s just about—” She was cut off by the sound of muffled bangs coming from inside of the ice prison.

“What’s that terrifying sound?” asked Mineta.

“It’s gotta be Bakugo’s doing,” mused Tsuyu. And she turned out to be right. With a loud explosion from his palms, Bakugo managed to blast his way out of Todoroki’s ice. If at all possible, he looked even fiercer than he did before.

“He used his explosions to tunnel through the ice like some kinda mole man!” exclaimed Sero, stunned.

“These two are insane,” added Kaminari. He wasn’t wrong. When in the ring, it seemed those two had nothing to hold back… for the most part.

Todoroki ran towards Bakugo, who used an explosion of his own to help him rush towards his opponent. Todoroki reached out, trying to grab the blonde. But Bakugo was too fast, evading Todoroki’s attempt with yet another explosion.

“Try harder!” Bakugo shouted as he grabbed onto Todoroki’s left side.

“He dodged his right side with a blast!” said Midoriya in awe. 

“Awesome,” commented Ochako, slightly stunned. Down below, Bakugo flipped over his opponent, still keeping a tight grip on Todoroki’s arm.

“Idiot!” he shouted, the insult echoing as he threw Todoroki towards the edge of the stage with a forceful explosion. Todoroki was able to recover quickly, flipping his body around and using his ice to redirect his trajectory.

“ _ Todoroki surfs an ice wave to avoid going out of bounds! _ ” narrated Present Mic as Todoroki came sliding back towards Bakugo, fire starting to lick at his left side. “ _ Looks like fun. _ ” Bakugo avoided Todoroki’s ice this time. Both were poised to attack each other. Todoroki’s flames grew even more.

“Use your left side,” Ruby heard Endeavor shout from the audience. “Do it, Shouto!” There was a beat. The flames on Todoroki’s body ebbed away the moment he heard his father’s voice. Todoroki simply grabbed Bakugo and tossed him away rather than use his Quirk against him.

“ _ Bakugo timed his explosions and grabbed Todoroki’s left side on purpose, _ ” commented Aizawa, “ _ He’s done his research. His aptitude for this becomes more apparent with every fight. _ ”

“ _ Interesting! _ ” No matter how hot headed people saw Bakugo to be, Ruby had to agree that he was pretty smart. He did get into U.A., after all.

“ _ Todoroki’s doing well so far, but his attacks are too simple. It almost seems like he lost his spark after the match with Midoriya. _ ” He… wasn’t wrong. Ruby hadn’t seen Todoroki’s fight with Iida, but from the sound of it, he hadn’t used his flames during it either. Despite having witnessed it, Ruby felt like something else had gone on between Midoriya and Todoroki during their fight.

“You bastard!” Ruby heard Bakugo shout down below. “I’ll tell you what’ll happen if you make a fool outta me! I’ll kill you! I don’t want there to be any doubt that I’m the best student at the festival! That’s only possible if you come at me as hard as you can! There’s no point if you don’t fight me with the same power you used against Deku! If you don’t wanna win this, why are you even here?!” Bakugo began to rush towards Todoroki. “Show everyone you’re trying to destroy me!”

Ruby leaned forward, bracing herself on her seat.

_ Bakugo’s trying to give his all like he did with me, but… something seems like it’s wrong with Todoroki… maybe Midoriya didn’t reach him completely…?  _ Even from her place so high up, Ruby could make out a bit of frost creeping up Todoroki’s face.  _ This isn’t good… _

Without much warning or even a sign that he was going to do so, Midoriya shot up out of his seat, bracing himself against the railing.

“C’MON, TODOROKI!” he shouted, his voice loud enough to cut through the noise the rest of the crowd was making. The two boys in the ring slowed down at hearing the outburst. “DON’T GIVE UP! DO YOUR BEST!”

Once again, Midoriya’s words proved to be just what Todoroki needed. As Bakugo blasted towards him, fire ignited on his left side.

Instead of attacking Todoroki directly, as Ruby expected him to do, Bakugo instead launched himself upward. With the help of his explosions, Bakugo began to spin himself, encasing his body in a twister before shooting back down towards his opponent. Todoroki took aim with his left side, ready to use his fire, but… the flames flickered out before he could do anything with them.

“HOWITZER IMPACT!” Bakugo shouted, his voice echoing throughout the arena. He made contact, emitting a large enough explosion that blasted apart nearly the entire stadium. Broken concrete and shards of Todoroki’s ice went flying, and a huge cloud of dust rose and encased the stage. Ruby sat stunned at the scene she just witnessed. Holy crap…! Now  _ that _ was some momentum!

“ _ Whoa-ho-ho! Bakugo combined speed and rotation with a huge blast like he used against Uraraka! He turned himself into a human missile! Todoroki didn’t fire off the flame attack that wowed us in his match with Midoriya _ !” said Present Mic, recapping what had just happened. “ _ So what has become of our two top competitors? _ ”

Now that… that was the answer that everyone wanted to know.

The smoke soon cleared. It revealed both boys laying on the ground. Todoroki had been thrown back by Bakugo’s attack and slammed up against his own ice. He wasn't moving. Ruby’s eyes widened.

“Todoroki!” she cried out, the name slipping free before she could stop it.

Bakugo pushed himself to his feet. He stumbled, eyes wide and hands shaking. The entire arena was silent.

“Hey… Hey!” He ran over to where Todoroki laid, sounding and looking quite panicked. He grabbed Todoroki by the jacket, with a hand poised to explode. “You stop messing around! This isn’t a real win for me unless you try harder! It can’t end this way. Now _get_ _up_!”

No… No, no, no…! Midnight tore at her costume. The perfume wafting off her sink slowly filled her ring. Bakugo was too focused on trying to wake Todoroki to notice. He fell victim to it. His expression relaxed as he dropped Todoroki, collapsing on top of him and drifting off into unconsciousness alongside his opponent. Midnight looked down at the two boys, then raised her arm.

“Todoroki is out of bounds,” she announced. “That means… Bakugo is the winner!” The crowd began to cheer. Bakugo… won? He won. He kept his promise and he won.

“ _ And with that, the final match is officially over! _ ” cried out Present Mic, his voice cutting loud above the noise. “ _ The first year champion of the UA Sports Festival is… KATSUKI BAKUGO FROM CLASS 1-A! _ ”

The crowd then  _ roared _ .

* * *

Todoroki was taken to the infirmary to be treated for his injuries, and Bakugo joined him while they waited for him to wake up. A teacher came to retrieve Ruby from the stands. Despite all the events having come to an end, there was one more part to the Sports Festival that was left: the award ceremony.

The present students who had made it to the semi-finals were led to a spot under the stadium once they all were conscious. Platforms had been set up underneath, ready to raise the three to the top for the cheering crowds to witness. Ruby hopped up on her own. It was fairly wide, and obviously meant for two people rather than the one that was there. Even from underneath the stadium, she could hear the crowd.

“The first-year students have completed all of the events for the U.A. Sports Festival. Now it’s time to relax and enjoy the awards ceremony,” Ruby could hear Midnight say. She intertwined her fingers behind her back, standing as tall as she could while the crowd cheered. The podiums carrying all those who made it to the third round rose. Ruby stood on third, Todoroki was on second and… a chained and muzzled Bakugo on first. He was still thrashing around, clearly very pissed off.

He had been going crazy ever since he woke up. It scared the crap out of Ruby at first, and now just made her uncomfortable. Maybe she was right about him being an angry pomeranian after all. Bakugo’s angry scream was muffled as they were exposed to the crowd.

“Tenya Iida actually shares the third place award with Ruby Rose,” Midnight explained to the waiting media crowd that had gathered with the rest of the first year students around them. “But unfortunately, he had to leave for family reasons. Gotta love those familial bonds.”

Ruby glanced at the ground. She crossed her fingers behind her back, biting down on the inside of her cheek. She knew how terrifying it could be for a family member to be in the hospital… especially when said family member was a Pro Hero. Ingenium had to be alright… he just had to be.

“Now, let’s break out the hardware,” Midnight continued, making Ruby snap back to attention. “Of course, there’s only one person worthy of distributing the awards.” A very familiar laugh echoed from the top of the stadium. Looking up, Ruby could see a distinct silhouette against the sunlight. The crowd cheered as All Might jumped down to the ring below.

“I am here with the medals!” announced the hero.

“All Might, the number one hero!” said Midnight, just about simultaneously as he landed. A moment of quiet fell. Well, that probably just ruined it. Midnight retrieved the medals. “So, now that you’re here, All Might, why don’t you start the presentation?”

Having placed the lowest, Ruby was the first one to receive her medal.

“Ruby,” the girl lowered her head as All Might spoke to her, “congratulations.” She grinned.

“Thank you, All Migh—!” Ruby cut herself off. Wait, did he just call her by her given name?

All Might placed the bronze medal around Ruby’s neck before she could question it. “You showed an incredible sense of determination out there.”

“Uh, thank you!”

“However.” Much to Ruby’s surprise, All Might then bent down and hugged the girl. Part of it felt… strangely familiar. Ruby wasn’t quite sure why, but it just did. “You’ve more training to do if you’re going to be able to fight against different kinds of villains. You’re not going to be able to rely on your Quirk in every battle you face. Sometimes, your speed may just work against you as it did earlier.”

Ruby nodded as All Might pulled away.

“Got it!” she said. Ruby looked down at her medal. Third place. She actually managed to place. ...though… Ruby cast her gaze over to the empty spot beside her. It shouldn’t have just been her up here. All Might moved on.

“Young Todoroki. Congratulations!” He placed the second place medal around Todoroki’s neck. Ruby’s classmate simply glanced down at it, as if not entirely sure how exactly to feel about the thing. “I’m assuming there’s a reason you didn’t use your left side. Though it cost you the final.”

Todoroki looked down at his left hand. “Midoriya opened my eyes during our match, but then I started to doubt myself. I think I now understand a little about why you’re so interested in him. I want to be the kind of hero you are, but my path isn’t as clear as I thought it was. I have a lot to think about. And I still need to settle things with someone. Very soon.”

Ruby raised a brow at hearing that. Who was he talking about? His dad maybe? She bit her lip at a second thought. ...his mom?

All Might nodded. “I’ve never seen this sort of look on your face before.” He hugged the half-and-half boy. He then said something to Todoroki that Ruby couldn’t make out.

“Right,” Todoroki replied to it with a short nod. And that just left… one more medal…

“And now, Young Bakugo,” All Might stopped when he saw the first place winner. How did he only now notice the state that Bakugo was in? “...This is a little much. Well, you did what you said you’d do in the pledge.” He unlocked the muzzle and removed it from Bakugo’s face. “You’re true to your word.”

Ruby could hear Bakugo growling. “All Might… Winning first place this way doesn’t prove that I’m the best one here!” She jumped back a little at his outburst. Oh, he was  _ mad _ . “Even if the world considers me the winner, I refuse to accept it like this! “

All Might cleared his throat. “In a world where we’re constantly being compared to one another, there are very few who can keep there eyes focused on the top spot. You’re one of them.” Bakugo only growled louder. “Please accept this medal. Even if you have to think of it as a scar. Something you’ll never forget. “

“I don’t want that piece of garbage!” Bakugo barked.

“C’mon, now.” But still, Bakugo fought to keep the medal away from him, thrashing around as All Might tried to place it around his neck.

“Get that trash offa me, you idiot!”

“There.” The medal ended up clenched between Bakugo’s teeth, which only served to make him look more feral. Ruby bit back a sigh. 

_ Dang it, Bakugo…  _ All Might stepped down from the platforms and presented the three students to the crowd and the reporters that surrounded them.

“Here they are! The winners of the year’s sports festival!” said the hero, “But listen closely. Any of you first years could have ended up standing on these podiums. Think about what you’ve done today. You’ve challenged each other, learned, and climbed even closer toward your goals of being pros. I think the next generation of heroes is proving to be our most promising one yet! So I have one more thing to say! I want to hear everyone yell it with me. You know what it is. Thanks everyone, for your hard work!”

The audience, however, shouted out “Plus Ultra!”. Ruby felt a smile creep up as confusion rang out over the crowd, a few of them questioning All night didn’t take the chance to close the festival with teh school’s own motto.

“Well, yeah, I guess, but everyone did such a good job!” said All Might, somewhat embarrassed by things. Ruby covered her mouth to hide a giggle that she couldn’t hold back. She looked down at the medal resting around her neck. It may have just been third place… but after thinking about everything that happened today… It felt like she just won first.

The Sports Festival proved that even a good friend can also be a worthy opponent… Ruby glanced over at Todoroki. ...and the festival also proved, unintentionally, that there was always more of someone than what was on the surface.

* * *

The first year students were given the next two days off to recuperate while the rest of the U.A. Sports Festival took place. They were free to do as they pleased, even though Mr. Aizawa advised them on resting. However, Ruby was right back at school after one day for the third year’s stage. She cheered on her friends as they had her, watching them make their way to the top and gain their own medals.

Some of the excitement of the festival had followed the Xiao Long-Rose family home, still lingering in the air as Ruby and her father went about the kitchen, preparing dinner for the members of the house. Yang sat at the table, an ice pack on each of her arms. She may have been healed from her injuries that she got during her tournament fights, but that didn’t mean her muscles weren’t sore.

Chatter filled the room. The table was just about set, and Ruby was reaching for the plates in the cabinets.

“Is Uncle Qrow going to be home for dinner this time?” she asked, already having withdrawn three.

“No, he took a late patrol,” her father replied, putting the finishing touches on dinner. “He said he’s eating at the office instead.”

“So, leave a plate in the fridge?”

“Yeah.” Ruby nodded, going about doing just that as she took out a fourth. She piled up a plate with a bit of everything. Whether or not Uncle Qrow was able to get to it when he got home or passed out on the couch first was up for debate.

Yang let out a small groan as her sister walked over to the table, moving her arms aside to put a plate in front of her. “I should've realized that I wouldn’t place when my opponent could hit me,” said the older of the two, “but wouldn’t let me hit him.”

“Yeah,” Ruby said with a short snicker. “Mirio did kind of kick your butt.”

“I’m proud of him, though. Jaune and Tamaki, too. But Togata didn’t have to hit so hard.” Yang groaned as she sat up, letting the ice slide off of her arms and onto the table. After seeing Yang fight Mirio during the tournament, Ruby hoped that she would never personally be on the receiving end of a punch from Mirio Togata.

“You know he can hit that hard,” said Taiyang, glancing back towards his daughter. “How many times have you and your friends torn up the backyard? Or the school’s gym?” Yang avoided her father’s gaze, trying to figure out the actual number. She couldn’t come up with one. “Exactly. I’ve had a lot of calls about property damage.” Yang nervously chuckled.

“Sorry, Dad.”

“Either way,” said Ruby as she placed the final plate on the table. “I think you did great, Yang.”

Yang grinned. “Thanks. You did great too, Rubes.” Before Ruby had the chance to sit down, Yang wrapped her arm around her neck, pulling her close enough so that she could mess with her hair. “You could’ve taken that guy down if Midnight let you fight a little more.”

“Yang—!” Ruby grabbed her sister’s arm to try and get her off.

“Yang, let her go,” said Taiyang. Yang, much to her sister’s relief, did. Ruby took her seat with a sigh as the girls’ father joined them at the table, food in hand. “I have to agree with her, you know.”

Ruby glanced over at her dad. “Who? Yang?”

“Both of you.” Ruby smiled as she finally took her seat. As soon as Taiyang placed the food on the table, Yang immediately dug in for her own helping. “I’m so proud of my girls. You both did so well.”

“Thanks.”

“Thanks, Dad,” said Yang with a smirk. Food was now being distributed across the three of them. “...but I kinda heard you. You were cheering pretty loudly.”

“Hey, I wasn’t the only one. I’m pretty sure I heard Blake cheering pretty loudly, too,” pointed out Taiyang. Yang sunk a little in her seat, a faint shade of pink dusting her face. “And you had a lot of heroes cheering for both of you during your fights. Not just me. I’m pretty sure I heard Toyomitsu in the crowd, too.”

Ruby blinked as she put the last bit of dinner on her plate. “Who?”

“Yang’s boss.”

“Oh.” Ruby wished she had known that beforehand. The hero Yang worked under was an amazing person. Ruby would've liked the chance to meet him again, having done so during her class trip last year.

“Yeah, I appreciate it. But I think some heroes could’ve held back a little during the entire festival,” said Yang before turning to her sister. “Like that one hero that yelled at the kid who blew you up? Or even Endeavor.” Yang groaned, not noticing that Ruby had frozen in place. “It’s so embarrassing when your dad does something like that… I feel bad for that Todoroki kid.”

“What?” Taiyang chuckled, reaching to mess with Yang’s hair, similar to what Yang had done to Ruby mere minutes ago. “Too old for Dad’s encouragement?”

“I didn’t say that,” Yang laughed as she knocked her father’s hand away. “Just… cheer on with the crowd, you know what I mean?” Ruby’s grip on her fork tightened.

_ Endeavor… _

“Those weren't words of encouragement…” But Yang didn’t know that. Ruby couldn't say anything about that. She had promised Todoroki that she wouldn’t. And a promise was a promise.

“What was that?” Ruby snapped back to attention as her father spoke. Both him and Yang were staring at her now.

“You just said something, Rubes,” said Yang, making her sister’s eyes briefly widen. Oh crap, had she said that out loud?!

“Oh, uh… nothing!” Ruby said quickly, trying to cover for her mistake. “Nothing at all!”

That didn’t seem to fool her father. “Ruby, is everything okay?” he asked her.

“Yeah! Why wouldn’t it be?” Taiyang and Yang took a look at each other. Ruby laughed, awkwardly trying to diffuse the situation. She fought to try and not let her nerves slip through. “Um, hey, Dad? Dinner tastes a little different. Did you change the recipe at all?”

“Um… sort of.” Ruby sighed as the conversation’s flow was successfully changed.

Dinner went on as usual, with the news playing the background. It was a normal thing when one or both Pro Heroes that resided in the house were out. It was a way to make sure that nothing bad happened… that they were okay. And if something did happen, well, then the rest of the family would know. And Ruby had successfully deviated the conversation away from Endeavor and his son. 

At least, that’s what she thought. Once dinner had ended and the table had been cleared away, Taiyang turned to his eldest daughter. Ruby began to work on the dishes, letting the sink fill with soapy water. She listened carefully to the background noise.

“Hey, Yang? Can you take Zwei out for a bit?” Taiyang asked the blonde. “Or are you not up to it?”

Yang hummed, thinking about the question. “He hit my arms and… well, everything but my legs. I‘ll be fine. Zwei!” She let out a whistle, and Ruby could hear the pitter-patter of the family’s dog’s paws enthusiastically hitting the ground. Yang walked out into the living room, leaving Ruby and Taiyang alone.

Ruby froze with dishes in hand as her dad strode up next to her, seemingly keen on helping her out with her chore. She glanced up at him, not exactly liking the quiet that had formed following Yang’s departure. She knew what this meant. It meant that she was about to get cornered by her dad into a talk and that her earlier diversion had failed.

“Ruby, I know that sometimes… girls around your age hide things for… various reasons,” her father began as soon as Ruby started scrubbing at the dishes in front of her. For some reason, Weiss and Blake popped into Ruby’s mind, and the nights that they had slept over the house without much warning. Weiss would break into tears the moment she stepped through the door. Blake would be shaking, saying that her parents would be out for the night, and that she couldn’t handle being alone like she thought she could.

“I just want you to know that you can tell me anything,” Taiyang continued. “I’m your dad. I want you to know that you can trust me, alright?” Ruby nodded. He was using the same voice she heard him use when he had been in news reports after a fight or an emergency. It was a calm tone meant to relax people, to help make sure that they knew that they were safe and sound. He had used it more than once when Ruby would wake up from a nightmare as a kid.

“Are you sure that everything’s okay?” he finished.

“Ye…” The sponge almost slipped from her hand. “Yeah. Everything’s okay. Why?” That was the question. Why? What had she done to raise this suspicion? She didn’t slip up. ...or at least she didn’t think that she did.

“You were acting strange when Yang brought up what happened during your stage. Did it… Did it bother you at all?” Ruby could tell now that he wasn’t acting just like a dad. His hero persona was slipping through the cracks, as it was prone to do when he was concerned or worried about someone. It had been with all of her friends at one point in time. 

Weiss and Blake, obviously… Jaune more than once… Ever since they were kids, when he thought he was stupid and couldn’t do anything right, that he would always make mistakes (and much more that Ruby couldn’t remember, but she did know it was the reason why Taiyang had invited him to work at the STRQ agency)... Pyrrha when she felt like she wasn’t enough, when she was doubting herself and felt like she wasn’t meeting others’ expectations… Ren and Nora during sleepovers, when one of them or even both couldn’t sleep in the dark because they heard a noise or had a nightmare about something that happened in the past that they couldn’t talk about (it was strange how her dad handled it, as if he had to do it before)... Even with Amajiki when all of them were training in the backyard, or he was spending the night with the others… Taiyang had let the boy open up at his own pace, but Ruby knew that was because of his own general anxiety and fear of crowds.

The moment a panic attack started for any one of them — whether they were his children or not, Taiyang knew to keep his space and help when he could and do what he could to help. He knew what to do to help each one of them. He was a hero, after all. ...maybe… maybe he knew how to help Todoroki, too. 

Ruby shook her head. No. No, She made a promise. She had to keep that promise. She promised Todoroki, she couldn’t break it. She wanted him to trust her, she wanted to be friends with him, and if she broke that promise, then maybe—!

“Ruby?” Her father’s voice and his hand on her shoulder brought her back out of her thoughts.

“Oh, sorry. I was…” Ruby bit her lip, going back to her task at hand. She didn’t even realize that she had stopped. She ran the dish under the running water from the sink’s tap. “Thinking. ‘bout some stuff.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” He was being careful, but so was she.

“I just…” Ruby handed a dish off to her father to be dried, focusing her gaze on the water and the next dish in front of her, “heard more of a conversation that I should have had during the lunch break a few days ago. That’s all. Nothing too big of a deal. It was a private one, I really shouldn’t have stuck around to wait for them to finish, but…” Ruby drifted off. Why  _ did _ she stay…?

“Did you hear your teachers talking?”

“No, it was Midoriya and—” Ruby paused, biting down on her lip once more to stop herself from saying his name, “a-another classmate talking about some stuff…” She couldn’t let that name slip. Not even a syllable of it.

“Midoriya… that plain looking kid who broke his arms?” Ruby nodded. “Is he alright? Are you worried about him?” Ruby shook her head.

“N-No! Midoriya’s fine!” As far as she knew, at least. He only ever talked about his mother before, and from what Ruby had heard about Inko Midoriya, she was an incredibly kind and hardworking mom. She doubted that she would ever raise a hand to her son as Endeavor did Todoroki… or scar her son the way Todoroki’s mom did. “It’s just… c-complicated.”

“Complicated?” Taiyang repeated.

“Like—” Ruby bit down on her lip again. She couldn’t let it out. She couldn’t say it. She promised, she couldn’t say it! “Like nothing. Nothing important. Everyone’s fine.” She caught her mistake, quickly correcting herself: “...everything's fine!” That seemed to be enough for her dad.

“Are you sure that everything's okay with your classmates?” asked Taiyang.

“I mean, Bakugo’s still…” Ruby shrugged, “Bakugo, but…”

“Ruby.” And there was the Dad Voice.

“I know. That’s not what you meant,” Ruby sighed. “...it just… It was a private conversation. ...they were talking and I heard something I shouldn’t have. One of my friends, his dad—” Ruby successfully managed to cut herself off by slapping a hand over her mouth. She should just stop talking. She wanted to help so bad, but she promised not to say anything. She couldn’t say anything!

“Nothing’s okay, is it?” Taiyang asked. Ruby, her hand still over her mouth, slowly nodded. “Who is it?” Ruby said nothing as she lowered her hand. This was what she was afraid of happening. Instead, she turned her attention to the chore in front of her.

“It’s no one,” Ruby said quickly, picking up and scrubbing at a dish a little harder that usual.

“It didn’t sound like no one.” Taiyang’s daughter was quiet. She slowed down, not sure exactly what to do or say. “Ruby, if one of your classmates is in trouble, then I need you to tell me so I can help.”

Ruby sighed, glancing down. “I can't... He made me promise not to when he found out that I… I-I heard.”

“Ruby, this isn't something that you can hide. Your friend may be in danger if their parents are hurting them.” She knew that, she’s just…! But she…! Ruby’s hands tightened around the dish she was holding as they started to shake.

“I can't…!”

“Why not?” Ruby kept her mouth shut. Taiyang reached over, taking the plate from her hand and dropping it back into the sink. With gentle hands on her shoulders, he turned his daughter to face him as he crouched down to get at eye-level with her. Ruby kept her gaze on the floor. “Ruby, I just want to help. If you want to protect them, this is not the way to do it.”

“But I promised.” Ruby crossed her arms tightly over herself. “I can't...!”

“Why not?”

“Because it's Todoroki!” Silence followed Ruby’s outburst, her classmate's name echoing off the walls. She sighed, her breath shaky and her hands dropping to her sides. “...It's Shouto Todoroki…”

“Todoroki?” Taiyang repeated. Her father’s expression… was the same as hers when she found out: stunned beyond all belief, like he had been punched in the stomach. “You mean Endeavor's...?” Ruby swallowed something down before nodding.

“Yeah. I heard him… He… He didn’t exactly say it, but… what he told me… he sounded like his dad... you know. Hurt him. Pushed him past how far he could go…” Todoroki had to be one of her bravest classmates to stand up to his father the way he was that day. “And none of it sounded right, either. It’s not the kind of stuff you and Uncle Qrow do with me or Yang while we’re training. It’s more...” Ruby couldn’t find the right word, but it left a sour feeling in her mouth.

Taiyang slowly stood, although his hands didn’t leave his daughter’s shoulders. “I'll see what I can do.” Ruby was old enough to know what that meant. She swallowed something down.

“Nothing's going to work, is it?” she asked, breaking the brief silence between them. “Because his dad's a Pro Hero. They won't believe…” She bit down on her lip. They wouldn’t believe them, even if Taiyang was a Pro Hero, too. It was his word over that of a higher-ranking hero.

“I know,” said Taiyang with a sigh. “But that doesn't mean we can't do something to help.”

“Kinda like with Weiss?” Her home situation seemed a bit too similar to Todoroki’s own.

“Almost exactly like with Weiss.”

Ruby looked down at the ground. “So there's nothing we can do.”

“That's not true.” Ruby looked up at him. Her father’s gaze was gentle as his hand briefly tightened on her shoulder. “We can't get him away from his situation, but there are things that we can do to help. Usually it's the smaller things that make the biggest difference. Like offering him a safe space to be, even if he doesn't accept it. Making sure he's alright if he looks like something's wrong. And more importantly, the biggest small thing you can do is just be his friend. Do you think you can do that?”

“...yeah,” Ruby replied with a nod. “Yeah, I think I can.” Her broken promise we replace by another. If she wanted to help him… then being Todoroki’s friend would be the best way to do it.

The peaceful moment was soon broken by a sudden shout from the living.

“Dad! Ruby!” cried out Yang’s voice. “I think you might want to see this!”

Father and daughter exchanged a look with each other. Ruby felt something twist in her stomach. It took a lot to get Yang to shout like that. Had something happened to Uncle Qrow? The two walked out to the living room. As they had left it, the news was playing on the TV. Yang was standing in front of it, a leash firmly wrapped in her hand. She looked at the screen, stunned as Zwei stared up at her expectedly, unaware as to what was going on.

“Is everything alright?” Taiyang asked, concern having returned.

“I…” Yang swallowed down something thick in her throat, “don’t know.” Ruby glanced over at the TV where the news was still going.

_ “...Two days ago, the Turbo Hero: Ingenium was attacked in the alleyways of Hosu City, Tokyo. Ingenium was found barely conscious by a civilian and rushed to the nearest hospital _ ,” said the woman on-screen, reading off her given report. _ “Reports from the police have just confirmed that it was the work of the infamous Hero Killer: Stain. This marks the Hero Killer’s forty-first attack in the past five years. It is unknown whether or not Ingenium will make a full recovery... _ ” The news continued on, relaying a few more details on the attack. Ruby felt a pit drop into her stomach. She was at a loss for words.

_ Ingenium…  _ Ruby felt a gasp escape her. That was Iida’s older brother. When Midoriya told her that a villain had got him, she didn’t think that it would’ve been the Hero Killer. Her wide eyes softened as her friend came to mind.  _ Iida… _

She hadn’t seen or talked to him before he left the Sports Festival. She hoped that he was alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I've mentioned before in this series that I believe Bakugo has genuine breakdowns three times in My Hero thus far. The first one we saw in the Battle Trial arc. The second is here, after his fight with Todoroki. The way he acts, his tone of voice and his expression all lead me to believe that he's panicking after the fight. With his opponent unresponsive, my siblings and I believe that at the time, he thought he had killed Todoroki by accident. And that would fuck up any aspiring hero.
> 
> 2\. I don't think that the Sports Festival is spread out over three days like I portray it here. The way it's done canonically makes me think that all the stages take place in one day. However, I wanted to include the third years in the arc's storyline, and show off Jaune's Quirk and his internship with Recovery Girl somewhat. So, that was changed.
> 
> 3\. Ruby and Midoriya are the co-founders of the 1-A Todoroki Protection Squad. I never had plans on Ruby keeping what she knew about Endeavor and his son's relationship a secret. She was going to tell Taiyang and/or Qrow eventually, and both are made aware of the situation. However, there's not much that they can do considering Endeavor's ranking and job as a Pro Hero. They will try, though. I can say that much.
> 
> And that's pretty much it. We've come to the end of the Sports Festival arc! And now it's time to get on to the one I'm most excited for this volume for some weird reason: The Hero Killer Arc.
> 
> I think that's mostly because of all the moments between Ruby and the boys that I have packed into the arc. I love crossover friendships.
> 
> Next time!  
> Chapter Fifteen: Playing the Name Game!
> 
> It's time to take the next step in being a hero!


	15. Playing the Name Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sports Festival may be over, but the kids' classes aren't. And today, they take an important step in their hero training: codenames.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And at last we get a start on the Hero Killer Arc! I don't know why, but I'm excited for this one. Which is weird but I struggled writing this chapter for some reason. It's not that it was hard, I just... there was a barrier I was working around. I hope you all enjoy! Oh, and I hope you like the name I've given Ruby in the end.
> 
> The only warning here is Tenya Iida' s unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Tenya Iida had not answered his phone all evening. It was highly worrying, as Iida usually responded to any text message sent before ten PM in less then five minutes. Ruby had sent him her text the second she found out about what happened had been left on read. As much as she wanted to know if he was alright, she didn't want to push him to answer it, or even to spam his phone like she desperately wanted to. He was probably hurting.

Well… that and her dad had warned her that probably wasn’t the best course of action.

That morning, on the train to school, Ruby made up her mind to talk to Iida personally if he was in class that day. She hadn’t seen him since the Sports Festival’s semi-finals. She just wanted to make sure that he was okay. As the train came to a stop at the station, Ruby felt herself being tapped on the shoulder by one of the passengers.

“Hey,” Ruby turned to face the man who had caught her. Oh no, did she have something stuck to the bottom of her shoe or something? “Aren’t you from 1-A?”

Ruby blinked. “Huh?”

“U.A.’s Class 1-A!” It took a moment for it to sink in.

“Oh! Uh, yeah.” She nodded, giving him a polite smile. “That’s me!”

Much to her surprise, the man then said: “Congrats on the Sports Festival, kid. We were all rooting for you back there!” It was that sentence alone that attracted more attention from the train’s other passengers.

“Hey, you were in the top three, right?” asked a nearby woman who had been listening in on the conversation.  Ruby gave her a nod. “That’s amazing. Everyone at my office thinks you should’ve won.” The small bit of chatter then began, with multiple of the train’s passengers complimenting Ruby about her performance at the Sports Festival. They were all talking about her, and Ruby could hardly believe it.

“Ruby!” Yang called out, snapping her sister out of her reverie.

“Uh! Thank you!” Ruby said quickly, dashing out of the train doors right before they closed. There was a small grin on her face as she picked up her pace to catch up with both Jaune and Yang.

“Was that guy bothering you at all?” Yang asked, glancing back at the station as the trio left it. Ruby shook her head. 

“No. They saw me at the Sports Festival.” Ruby giggled a little. “I had no idea that I’d get this popular…!”

“You did place third. I told you that you already stood out,” Jaune told her with a slight smirk of his own. “Do you believe me now?” He then hooked his arm around her and ruffled up her hair considerably, making Ruby laugh in the process.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Ruby said in-between laughing bursts. “I believe you!” Jaune slid his arm off of her as the clouds that had gathered above finally started to weep. Rain began to come down at a steady pace, making the three students whip out umbrellas that had been stowed away in their bags. 

“You’ll get used to it eventually,” said Yang, popping open her umbrella before even a lick of rain could drop onto her hair. “Just tell us when it starts to get too much, okay? “ She glanced over at Jaune. “I’m sure we could pull something off to take the attention away from you.”

“I don’t think your Dad would like whatever you’re planning,” Jaune said to the other blonde as soon as he saw the slight smirk that she was wearing now. “We’re almost Pro Heroes, Yang. You can’t cause a scene to distract someone for no reason.”

“You know how hypocritical that sounds coming from you.” Jaune stared at the ground, wrapping a hand around his backpack’s straps. “Ya know. Considering the… Kid Knight thing.” And that made Jaune go red in the face. Ruby simply stared at her sister. Kid what?

“Hey, I stopped! Besides, it’s legal for me to do it now. I have a license, remember?”

“A  _ provisional _ license.”

Jaune finally looked up, blue eyes narrowed and focused on Yang. “It’s the same thing!”

“Yeah, but—” Okay, this was becoming too much.

“What’re you guys talking about?” Ruby asked, finally getting a word in. Both Jaune and Yang were quiet for a moment as they exchanged a look with each other, as if unsure of exactly what to say.

In the end, Yang simply reached out and messed up her sister’s hair even further, making it look like she had just rolled out of bed. “Just some stuff that happened in middle school. Don’t worry about it, ‘kay?”

“Okay…?” That… didn’t clear much up. If anything, Ruby was only more confused. She was about to ask why she shouldn’t worry about it when something - or rather some _ one _ — zoomed past. 

“Morning, Rose!” said that someone as they zipped past the three of them. It was Iida, wearing a bright green raincoat and running to school, even if U.A. wasn’t that far from where they were.

“Iida!” Ruby called out to her classmate. She did make a promise to talk to him, after all. Now would be one the few times she had the chance to do it. However, Iida didn’t seem to hear her, as he just kept running towards the school building. Ruby turned to her friend and sister. “I’ll catch up with you guys later. Iida, wait up!”

Ruby picked up her pace, using her Quirk by the slightest bit in order to help her catch up to Iida. She didn't, only succeeding in really catching up to Izuku Midoriya, who just so happened to have gotten an earlier start on his way to school that morning. Midoriya started to run with them when Iida passed by, pointing out that they’d be late at the rate they were going.

“There’s still five minutes until the first bell,” countered Midoriya, but sped up nonetheless.

“U.A. students should always arrive ten minutes early, don’t you think?” Iida replied, bending down and pulling up his pant legs to expose his calves. With the help of his engines, he gave himself a small burst of speed in order to zip straight to U.A. By the time Ruby passed Midoriya, Iida was already too far ahead for her to reach without draining herself.

Well, she would just have to hope to catch him before class started… or try again at lunch. Ruby glanced over at the green-haired boy as she dashed past. He looked confused. Ruby didn’t exactly blame him. Even with the little bit she heard Iida say that morning, something about it...

“So, did you hear the news, too?” Ruby asked, slowing down to a less Quirk-enhanced speed to let Midoriya catch up.

“Yeah… Iida seems… like normal, though,” the boy replied. Ruby wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not, but it definitely didn’t sit well in her stomach.

She and Midoriya entered the main building, grateful to have finally gotten out of the rain. Iida was already two steps ahead of them, most of his rain gear off and being stowed away into his shoe locker while the pair closed their umbrellas.

“So, Iida,” began Midoriya, breaking the odd quiet that had built, “Um…”

Ruby took over, quickly turning to Iida as she smoothed down her still-mussed up hair. “Iida, how are you—?”

“If it’s about my brother don’t be concerned.” Iida didn’t even turn to face the two of them as he replied. “I’m sorry if I made you all worry. Everything’ll be fine.” Ruby bit down on her lip.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. As I said, Rose. Everything will be fine.” ...would it? Or was he lying?

After the U.A. Sports Festival, the news hadn’t stopped replaying the reports about what had happened to Ingenium over in Hosu City. The Hero Killer known as Stain — the one responsible for attacking Iida’s older brother — had yet to be caught. And after it was released that Ingenium would never be able to do hero work again because of his injuries… Ruby knew how much it hurt to have a loved one in the hospital or injured after a fight. It had never been to that extent before, but… something about the way Iida was acting just felt off. It felt too… normal for what he had just gone through.

She frowned, following her classmates to their homeroom.

* * *

Class 1-A’s homeroom had yet to start by the time Ruby, Iida and Midoriya arrived. Despite the bell having rung the second the door closed behind them, there was no sign of Mr. Aizawa anywhere in the room. Instead, the kids were all talking, and it seemed there was only a single topic of interest that morning circulating around: the Sports Festival.

“It’s so weird the people recognize us from TV,” said Mina, a sparkle in her raccoon-like eyes as the new arrivals made their way to their desks. “Everyone wanted to talk to me on my way here.”

“Yeah, me, too!” said Kirishima with a wide, sharp-toothed grin.

“People on the street were staring at me!” squealed Hagakure. Ruby was pretty sure that if she could see her face, she would be blushing. “It was kind of embarrassing.”

“Sure, but isn’t that pretty normal for you?” asked Ojiro. Ruby was somewhat sure that the answer was yes.

“You won’t believe what a bunch of elementary school brats yelled at me,” said Sero, probably the only one not quite as hyped up as the rest of the kids were about their newfound popularity.

“Nice try?” guessed Tsuyu. She hit the nail directly on the head as Sero groaned, digging his fingers into his hair.

“All It took was one sports festival and suddenly we’re like celebrities,” said Kaminari as Midoriya took his seat.

“I got stopped on the train this morning,” added Ruby with a bit of excitement as she slid into her own. “It’s so cool having people know who we are for real now.” Kaminari fired off a grin in her direction. The conversation would have continued there if the classroom’s door didn’t slide open just then.

“Morning.” The class fell silent the minute that the man who arrived for work spoke with one thing definitely different from when his students last saw him.

“Good morning, Mr. Aizawa!” chimed the students of 1-A back as their homeroom teacher walked up to the front podium. Ruby stared at him. Compared to the last time she had seen him, there was definitely something different.

“Mr. Aizawa, you don’t have bandages anymore,” said Tsuyu with a small ‘ribbit’. “That’s good news.”

“The old lady went a little overboard in her treatment,” said Mr. Aizawa, scratching his face and glancing down at something that now marred it. It was hard not to ignore the deep scar that fell under his right eye… or the bandages that were hidden underneath his sleeves. “Anyway. We have a big class today on Hero Informatics.”

Ruby felt her face drain off color. Informatics?It wasn’t exactly her worst subject, per se. In fact she was doing fine with it… so long as she studied prior to tests and quizzes to get things to stick better… and she hadn’t had the chance to look over her notes in the past three days.

She just had to hope it wasn’t some test that Aizawa was just springing upon them now. He wouldn't do that, would he…? Who was Ruby kidding? He totally would.

“You need codenames. Time to pick your hero identities.” At that simple announcement, almost the entire class erupted in cheers. Ruby felt a grin stretch across her face so wide that it almost hurt. Hero names! They were finally deciding on those! The class immediately claimed down as their teacher’s eyes flared up red, his hair rising from the use of his Quirk. 

“This is related to the pro hero draft picks that I mentioned the last time we were in class together,” Aizawa continued, letting his hair fall to his shoulders once everyone had settled. “Normally, students don't have to worry about the draft yet. Not until their second or third year, actually, but your class is different. In fact, by extending offers to first-years like you, pros are essentially investing in your potential. Any offers can be rescinded if their interest in you dies down before graduation, though.”

Mineta struck his desk with his fist. “Stupid, selfish adults.”

“So, what you’re saying is we’ll still have to prove ourselves after we’ve gotten recruited,” Hagakure said, summarizing up everything their teacher just told them.

“Correct.” Ruby bit back a groan as Mr. Aizawa said that. And here she thought that they had just made it. ...then again they  _ were _ just first years. “Now. Here are the totals for those of you who got offers.” With a press of a button on a remote that had been stashed in his pocket, the totals were displayed on the chalkboard behind him. Barely even half of the class had their names listed. “In past years, it’s been more spread out. But there’s a pretty big gap this time.”

Ruby stared at the board. Complaints from those who were not listed arose.

“Todoroki got the most ahead of Bakugo?” commented Jirou. Wait, Todoroki got what now?

“Yeah, it’s the opposite of how they placed in the festival,” added Kirishima.

“They probably weren’t excited about working with the guy who had to be chained up at the end,” said Sero. Bakugo simply took it in stride, leaning back in his seat.

“If I scare a pro, they’re just weak!” he barked. Ruby heard Yaoyorozu sigh. She then turned to Todoroki.

“That’s amazing,” she said to him, “You must be proud.”

“These offers are probably because of my father,” said Todoroki with a bit of bitterness. Ochako, who sat directly behind Iida, was shaking him by the shoulders. He barely bat an eye at this, while Ochako had tears in hers from how happy she was to get an offer. Ruby, however, kept staring at the board. Her own name was up there, with the number 351 right beside it.

“I got offers…!” she squealed, eyes shining bright at the results. Over three hundred. Over three hundred heroes wanted her. They ended up seeing something in her and wanted her!

“You did place third,” pointed out Yaoyorozu, twisting around to face the girl behind her.

“I know but… I was so scared because I got hurt…!” Okay, now Ruby’s grin was really starting to hurt, but she couldn’t relax her face at all with how excited she was. “People want us!”

“They don’t want Midoriya, he got none!” chimed in Mineta. “I bet everyone was really grossed out by the crazy way you were fighting.” Midoriya slid down a little lower in his seat. Ruby caught sight of him glancing down at his right hand.

“Despite these results,” said Mr. Aizawa as the class calmed down once again, “you’ll all be interning with pros. Got it? Even those of you who didn’t get any offers.”

That got Midoriya to perk back up again. “Oh, so, we’re all interning?” he asked.

“Yes. You already got to experience combat with real villains during the attack on the USJ facility. But it’ll still be helpful to see Pros at work. Up close and personal, in the field. Firsthand.”

“And for that, we need hero names!” said Sato, getting a nod from his teacher in return.

“Things are suddenly getting a lot more fun!” said Ochako. Ruby couldn’t have agreed more.

“These hero names will likely be temporary,” Aizawa reminded his class, “but take them seriously or—”

The classroom’s door opened. “—you’ll have hell to pay later!” 

In walked Ms. Midnight, much to Ruby’s confusion. She had an ever present, confident smile on her face. “What you pick today could be your codename for life,” she told the children. “You better be careful, or you’ll be stuck with something utterly indecent.”

“Yeah. She’s got a good point.” Midnight came to stand by Aizawa’s side. As if reading his students’ mind, he then went on to explain a bit further: “Midnight is going to have final approval over your names.” Aizawa already had his sleeping bag out, an item that had become quite the common sight in the classroom. “It’s not my forte. The name you give yourself is important. It helps reinforce your image and shows what kind of hero you wanna be in the future. A codename tells people exactly what you represent. Take ‘All Might’ for example.”

As Aizawa settled himself into a corner of the room, white boards and markers were passed out to the students of 1-A. Ruby looked down at her own board once she got it. She had thought about her hero name plenty of times, mostly when she was young and even more so a few years ago, when Yang came home after picking her own. But now that she actually had to do it… She felt her mind drawing a blank.

Time passed by quicker than Ruby wanted it to, and her board still remained blank. A name that told people what she was? Who she was? It was hard to think of one that meant something. Most of the class had names scribbled down by now. 

“Now, students, who among you is ready to share?” said Midnight, confirming Ruby’s thought process exactly. She tightened the grip she had on the marker in hand. They were presenting these?! Who even had the courage to go first?

The answer, apparently, was Aoyama. The boy confidently strode up to the podium, looking proud amidst the silence the classroom held.

“Hold your breath. The Shining Hero,” he said, holding up his board for them to see. “My name is ‘I Cannot Stop Twinkling!’  _ Mes amis _ . You can’t deny my sparkle.” Ruby leaned back in her seat. It was… interesting. And a mouthful. Midnight took the board from him and started writing upon it.

“It’ll be better this way. Take out the ‘I’ and shorten the ‘cannot” to ‘can’t’.” She showed him her edit.

“It’s stunning,  _ mademoiselle _ .” Ruby blinked. Midnight actually liked it? Apparently, the class had the exact same thought, with some going as far as to say it out loud. Aoyama returned to his seat, seemingly pleased with himself. Mina then bounced up, grinning widely as she made her way up to the podium.

“Okie dokie, lemme go next!” Mina said proudly, presenting her board to her classmates. “My codename: Alien Queen!”

“Hold on. Like that horrible monster with the acidic blood?” said Midnight, shocked by the girl’s choice of name. “I don’t think so.” With a frown, Mina lowered her board and stalked back to her seat in disappointment. Wait, Aoyama’s was okay, but Mina’s wasn’t?

Ruby bit back a sigh. Those first two were… out there. What if the name she chose — a name that she thought was absolutely perfect — got rejected like Mina’s? What if she couldn’t come up with something good enough to get approved and she went without a hero name? What if—?!

Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Tsuyu raise her hand.

“I think I’ve got one,” she said with a ribbit. “Okay if I go next?”

“Come on up!” At that, the frog-like girl walked up to the podium, hugging her board close to her chest.

“I’ve had this name in mind since grade school.” Tsuyu presented her name for the class. “Rainy Season Hero: Froppy!”

Aw, that was so cute!

Ms. Midnight seemed to think the same thing. “That’s delightful! It makes you sound approachable. What a great example of a name everyone will love!” The class proved this fact when they started chanting Froppy. Tsuyu’s face flared up with a blush, and a smile crossed her face. Just about as cute as her name.

Following Tsuyu, Kirishima jumped out of his seat and made his way to the front.

“I’ve got mine, too,” he said, not hiding a lick of his excitement as he showed the class what he wrote. “The Sturdy Hero. My name is Red Riot!”

“‘Red Riot’?” Midnight repeated. “Interesting. You’re paying homage to the Chivalrous Hero, Crimson Riot, yes?“

Kirishima nodded. “That’s right. He may be kind of old school, but someday, I wanna be just like he was. Crimson is my idol.”

Midnight let out a slight hum. “If you’re bearing the name of someone you admire, you have that much more to live up to.” Kirishima only smirked.

“I accept the challenge.” Ruby sighed, leaning against her desk. The reason for Kirishima’s name was so cool. And now that she thought about it, he wasn't the only one who chose their name based off an idol. Jaune had a very similar case when it came to his own name. He once mentioned it belonged to his great-grandfather, whom he was trying to be like. Blake’s name was a play off of her own last name. Uncle Qrow’s, Yang’s and Nora’s all have something to do with their Quirk. Pyrrha's, Ren’s, Mirio’s, Tamaki’s and Nejire's… they all had personal meaning behind them. Well, Nejire’s really didn’t. She just flat out used her name.

Ruby shook her head. All her friends and her family had great names. She had to have one too… and she wanted it to have a good meaning behind it. But all the names that she thought up of didn’t seem to it. Part of her thought about playing off of her mother's hero name… To try and carry on her legacy as a great hero. ...Ruby had a long way to go before she could be as strong and as a great hero as her, though.

“Oh, come on, Jirou!” Ruby snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Kaminari shout. Jirou gathered her board and went up to the podium, snickering the whole time. “Quit messing with me!’

One by one, Ruby’s classmates went up and presented the hero names that they had come up with for themselves. Jirou chose the name Earphone Jack, using her Quirk quite literally to her advantage. Shoji did something similar with the octo-like aspect of his Quirk to give himself the name Tentacole.

Sero went with the name Cellophane, which was pretty on the nose for someone with his Quirk. Both Ojiro and Sato kept it pretty simple with their name choices, going with Tailman and Sugarman respectively. Mina, somewhat fed up with not being able to pick the names that she wanted (Ruby still didn’t see what was wrong with Alien Queen), threw out the name ‘Pinky’, which Midnight did end up approving.

Kaminari went after her, coming up with the name Chargebolt, which to Ruby felt like a very appropriate name for the human stun gun. Hagakure went for something as simple as her Quirk, branding herself a stealth hero called Invisible Girl. Following her was Yaoyorozu, who hoped that she could live up to calling herself an “everything hero” named Creati.

Todoroki went next, expression unreadable as he held up his board. “Shouto.”

“Just your name?” said Midnight, staring at Todoroki in bewilderment. “That’s it?” Ruby had to agree. It was a bit strange… and kind of dangerous if a villain found out what his full name was. Having his given name be his hero name would help with that. But still, Todoroki was firm in his decision, so that was that.

And the name game went on. Tokoyami chose to name himself after the god of the night: Tsukuyomi. Mineta decided to call himself Grape Juice. Koji Koda, the silent, rock-like boy of 1-A with a very vocal Quirk simply decided to call himself Anima.

And there there was...

“King Explosion Murder,” said Bakugo, presenting his board for the class with a fierce tone and an even fiercer look.

“I’m gonna say that one’s a little too violent,” Midnight told him. 

“Huh, whaddaya mean?!” Now  _ this  _ rejection, Ruby understood. Maybe if Bakugo took the ‘murder’ part out of his name… it could work then. Maybe.

“Why don’t you be Explosion Boy?” suggested Kirishima, both his tone and his grin teasing.

“You shut up, Weird Hair! Why don’t we go outside and I’ll show you exactly why murder should be in my name!” Ruby heard Kirishima laughing as Bakugo returned to his seat. That was kind of strange… Ruby half-expected Bakugo to at least set off some sort of explosion at Kirishima’s teasing. Since when did they end up on such good terms?

The next one to go up was Ochako.

“This is the name I thought of—” said the zero gravity girl as she displayed her board for the class with a shaky smile. “Uravity!” Ruby grinned. It sounded like a pun that even Yang would be proud of.

“I just love that!” Apparently, Midnight approved of it, too. Ochako let out a sigh of relief before returning to her seat. Midnight glanced up at the clock on the wall. “To be honest, choosing names is going faster than I thought it would. All we have left is young Bakugo, who needs to rethink his, Rose and Iida. Oh yes, and Midoriya, too.”

Oh… right… Ruby looked down at her still blank board. Her name…. right. She still needed to choose her name. She knew that she wanted it to have meaning behind it. She wanted to make herself known as a hero who could protect those who couldn't protect themselves… who did what was right, no matter what. Something that made people comfortable when they heard it. She wanted civilians to hear her name and feel safe and sound... and for villains to fear it.

Ruby bit back a sigh. Villains already knew who she was, though. Whether it be from the USJ or the Sports Festival… no, wait. There were the encounters with Torchwick that she had, too. He had been in control over thousands of thugs and criminals. He probably told them about her… even then, the probability was low… maybe, she wasn’t sure. Even then, villains wouldn’t feel fear when they heard the name ‘Ruby Rose’. 

Wait, no. Torchwick wouldn't have called her that to the other villains in the city. She was pretty sure he didn’t even know her real name. In all of their encounters, he only called her—! Ruby froze in her seat. What he called her….

Ruby knew exactly what her hero name was. All she had to do now was make it official. She wrote it down quickly, a grin on her face. She would’ve presented it right then and there if it weren’t for the other speedster in the class beating her to it.

“You’re using your real name, too?” Midnight asked, reading Iida’s given name from his board. Iida said nothing. He simply nodded. “Alright, which one is up next?” Okay,  _ now _ it was her turn.

“I got mine!” Ruby said, raising her hand up high. She scurried up to the front of the room, her board proudly in hand. She propped it up on the podium. “I’m the Bloom Hero. Little Red!”

After what felt like a lifetime to her but in reality was only a few seconds, Midnight finally spoke.

“Very fairytale,” she said with a slight smile. “I like it; it suits you perfectly.” Ruby let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding. That was it. She had her hero name now. It was another step into becoming a Pro Hero.

Yaoyorozu turned to Ruby as she slid back into her seat, satisfied. “Hey, Rose. Where did you get the idea you call yourself that?”

Ruby hummed before giving her answer. “...let’s just say I think if I go with this name, villains will think twice about messing with me.

“Well, Midoriya,” said Midnight, turning the final student who had to present. “Are you ready?

Midoriya seemed to snap out of some kind of reverie when he heard Midnight say his name. “Oh. Yes!” 

He stepped up to the front, holding his board to his chest. With an ever present look of confidence, he showed the class the name he had written down. Gasps rippled throughout the room.

“Really, Midoriya?” said Mineta, the first to express their disbelief at what the green-haired boy had chosen. 

“You sure about that?” asked Kaminari

“Yeah, man,” added Kirishima. “Remember, that could be your name forever.”

“Right,” Midoriya said as he looked down at what he had written. It didn’t seem like he was getting what they were trying to say. “I used to hate it. But then, something changed. I guess… someone taught me that it could have a different meaning. And that had a huge impact on how I felt. So, now I really like it. Deku. That has to be my codename!”

Deku. 

It now fell into place. She remembered something earlier in the year about the name Deku possibly being a hero name. And taking something that we meant to be an insult… Ruby glanced over at the girl that sat on the opposite side of the room. With Ochako’s help, Mdroiya was making the name his childhood bully had given him his own.

Bakugo tried to rehash his name from earlier as Lord Explosion Murder. Midnight still didn’t go for it. The name was denied as the bell rang, signifying the end of class. The boards and markers were collected, and just about everyone’s hero names were now solidified. There was no going back.

Midnight woke Aizawa up with a nudge of her heel in his side. How he did not get mad at her for that, Ruby wasn’t quite sure.

“Now that everyone’s decided on their hero names, we can go back to talking about your upcoming internships,” Aizawa said as he stood, not even bothering to get completely out of his sleeping bag. From its confines, he withdrew stacks of papers, which Ruby had to guess where the students' internship offers. “They’ll last for one week. As for who you’ll be working with: Those of you who were on the board will choose form among your offers. Everyone else will have a different list. You have a lot to think about. There are around forty agencies across the country who’ve agreed to take on interns from your class. Each agency has a different specialty that its heroes focus on. Keep that in mind.”

“Imagine that you were Thirteen,” said Midnight as her collegue finally stepped out of his bag. “You’d want to choose a place that focuses on rescuing people, not fighting villains. Understand?”

“Think carefully before you decide,” Aizawa added, getting a chime of ‘yes, sir!’ from the kids as their offers were passed out to them just as the bell rang again. “Turn in your choices before the weekend.”

“We’ve only got two days?” exclaimed Sero. Midnight said nothing, simply waving to her students as she left. Mr. Aizawa threw his sleeping bag over his shoulder as he followed her.

“Yeah, so you should start now. You’re dismissed.” He shut the door behind him as he left. As Ruby took her list of offers from Yaoyorozu, she caught sight of Todoroki out of the corner of her eye. He was staring at his list, his eyes having gone wide.

“Todoroki?” she asked, leaning forward to get a bit closer. “You okay?” All he did was show her his list. One name stood out prominently above all the rest. It was his father’s. “Oh. What are you going to do?”

Todoroki only shrugged. “I’ll figure out something…”

* * *

The rest of the morning passed by without much problem, though the class seemed more distracted than usual. It wasn’t like anyone could blame them. Ruby’s own thoughts kept drifting back to the internship offers tucked away in her desk. By the time the bell rang, signalling the start of the lunch break, Ruby had racked up a total of twelve times that her teachers had to call her back to attention and out of her daydreams.

But now that they were free, the internships were all the class could think and talk about.

“So guys…” said Mina, draped over her desk with her list in hand, “have you decided what Pro agency you wanna go for?”

“Mt. Lady’s my top choice!” piped up Mineta.

“Mineta,” said Tsuyu, her tone bordering on lecture. “Are you thinking something perverted?”

“...Possibly…”

“You made it to the tournament,” said Ojiro to Mina. “It’s weird you didn’t get any offers.”

“I know!” said Mina in exasperation.

Ruby let out a small sigh. “Sorry, Mina.” If she hadn’t beaten her in their fight, then maybe Mina would’ve gotten a few more offers… or offers period.

“Like I said, all’s fair in love and war.” Mina sat up, leaning back in her seat. “But what about you, Ruby? You decide on someone?” Ruby shook her head.

“No, not yet. I got offers… But I'm not sure which one to go with.” She looked back down at her own list. There were very few names that she recognized on it. ...well, personally recognized anyway. The amount of Pro Heroes that had wanted her to intern for them who also knew her family was relatively small. In hindsight, Ruby guessed that was a good thing. It meant that there was very little nepotism involved.

“Why not ask your sister for help?” brought up Ochako, both her and Tsuyu having crowded around Ruby’s desk. “Maybe she knows someone you could intern with.”

“Even if she doesn't, it wouldn't hurt to get her input,” added Tsuyu.

“Maybe…” said Ruby, musing over the idea. Yang definitely knew a lot more heroes than she did at this point. At least personally. And if Yang couldn't help her, maybe her dad and Uncle Qrow could.

“Hey, Deku,” Ochako turned to the green haired boy as Ruby stood up, her list held tightly in hand, “who’s on your list?”

Midoriya was hunched over his desk, muttering something to himself. As Ruby got closer, she could pick up on the fact that he was thinking about their internships, too. She chuckled. There he went again…

Midoriya popped up when he saw that his classmates had started to gather around him. “Oh. Sorry, what’d you guys say?”

“You’re really thinking hard about this, aren’t you?” said Tsuyu, pointing out the obvious.

“It’ll all work out,” Ochako grinned, “I’ve settled on my pick.” 

“Already?” said Mina with a bit of disbelief. Ruby had to agree. She thought it would take at least a day to figure out where to go.

“What agency?” asked Ojiro.

“The one that the Battle Hero, Gunhead, runs,” Ochako told her classmates. Gunhead?

“Gunhead’s a battle hero, though. He’s a heavy-hitting brawler,” said Ruby, recalling her knowledge of the hero in question. “You sure that’s where you wanna go?”

“Yup!” Ochako punched the air in front of her. “He sent me an offer!”

“Whoa, really?” said Midoriya, somewhat amazed. Ochako nodded. “But I thought you were trying to be a hero kinda like Thirteen, more into rescuing than fighting.”

“Ultimately that’s the plan. But I’ve been thinking ever since the festival — well, at least since I faced off against Bakugo —” Ochako shifted into a fighting stance, and Ruby could see determination sparking in her eyes. “The stronger I am, the more possibilities I’ll have. Plus, learning from a battle hero will give me a different perspective. Right?”

Midoriya blinked. “Yeah, totally.” Ruby stared at the green-haired boy. He was completely right, and Ochako’s reasoning was extremely good, but...

“Um, Midoriya? Can I ask you somethin’?” she asked, finally noticing what was going on. “Why are you shaking like that? Are you okay?”

“Oh. This?” Ruby nodded. “It’s exercise.” 

“Exercise?” Ochako repeated, getting a nod from Midoriya. Ruby took a small step back to get a better look at the whole picture. He was bracing himself on his desk, just hovering over his chair instead of actually sitting on it. “Were you doing that during the whole class?”

“There’s no way!” said Mina with both shock and awe when Midoriya nodded.

“That’s such an old-fashioned way to train,” Mineta commented.

“A smart one, though,” said Ojiro. “The isometric muscle contraction that’s needed to hold your body above your seat makes it an easy way to work out without moving.”

In front of Midoriya, Bakugo crumpled up a paper in his hands, muttering an insult under his breath. Ruby sighed as the conversation around her continued.

_ Bakugo…  _ Just what was going through his head right now…?

Part of Ruby hoped that it was better hero names.

* * *

The end of the day came a bit quicker than Ruby expected it to. Before she knew it, she had the rest of her class were packing up their things, getting ready to leave. Ruby stared down at the list of offers she had in her had. She had gone over them with her friends during lunch, and none of them had decided where to go by the time class had started up again. 

During training, Ruby decided to take Ochako up on her earlier suggestion of talking to Yang about it. Yang would know what to do. She just about always did.

“Hey, Deku!” Ochako called out to the green-haired boy as she and Ruby, bags in hand, walked up to him. “We’re going to meet with Ruby’s sister on our way to the station to talk about internships. Wanna come with?” Midoriya nodded. And now that Ruby thought about it, maybe…?

“Hey, Iida, what about y—” Ruby turned to where her friend normally sat, only to find his spot empty. “...you.” She sighed. He already left. And without saying anything, too.

Midoriya put a hand on her shoulder. “I bet he already decided where he wants to do his internship. My guess is he’s off turning his forms in right now.”

“I hope so,” Ruby said with a sigh. The trio started to make their way to the door. “I’m still worried about him. It’s natural to be worried when your family gets hurt, but the way Iida’s acting… it’s like he’s not—” Midoriya opened the door.

“I am here in a bizarre position!” Waiting there in front of the door was All Might, bent over forward. Ruby let out a yelp, jumping back a little at her teacher’s sudden appearance.

“Um—” Midoriya stepped up to the front, not even surprised in the bit about their teacher’s sudden and strange appearance. “Yeah, what’s that about, and why are you in such a hurry?”

“Hi, come with me a sec.” Midoriya glanced back at his friends. All Might seemed… worried about something. Midoriya seemed to pick up on that.

“Uh, sure. Okay.” He followed All Might down the hall and out of the classroom, going in an opposite direction than the girls.

“We’ll meet you at the entrance,” Ruby called back before he could get out of earshot. Midoriya flashed her a grin.

“Thanks!” He disappeared around the corner. Ruby and Ochako made their way down to the school’s entrance, with Ruby holding tight to her list of offers. It felt like luck that her sister was waiting for her by the lockers that afternoon. Since the first day, Ruby would meet her at the station after walking there with Midoriya, Ochako and Iida.

And Yang wasn’t standing there alone, either. She was with Blake, talking to her about something that Ruby couldn’t quite make out. Maybe work or school or something?

“Hey, Yang! Blake!” Ruby called out. The two girls split apart, almost jumping at Ruby’s voice. Their underclassmen jogged up to them. “You remember Ochako, right?”

Ochako gave a short bow to the two third years, offering a soft smile as well. “It’s nice to see you again, senpai!” Yang and Blake looked at her for a moment. While Blake’s expression was unreadable, Yang didn’t hesitate to show the realization that swept across her a second later.

“Right,” she said, shifting her bag on her shoulder. “You got blown up too.” Ochako’s face went pink, most likely with embarrassment.

Black elbowed Yang’s upper arm. “Yang—” It took Yang a moment to realize what she had said.

“You did good, though!”

“Um, thanks,” said Ochako, though the color she had on her cheeks did not show a sign of fading for a while. Lucky for the girls, the conversation took a turn when Blake spotted the papers Ruby had in her arms.

“Ruby, what’s that?” she asked. Ruby quickly explained what was going on to the upperclassmen — about internships, how the first years were able to take them on this year: all that they had been told that morning by Mr. Aizawa.

“I got a couple of offers from Pro Heroes,” said Ruby once her story was finished, looking down at her list. “And I was wondering if you guys could help me out with them.” Yang stared at the stack.

“Ruby, this is more than a few,” she said.

“She did place third…” commented Blake.

“You guys know Pro Heroes, don’t you?” Ochako asked, a bit of her sounding like she hoped that her idea would work. She let out a little sigh when Yang nodded.

“Yeah. Part of your hero training when you get older is getting to work with them,” explained the blonde. She then gestured between her and Ruby. “That, and we come from hero families. Our dad and uncle run STRQ.”

“STRQ?” Ochako’s eyes lit up as she looked from Ruby to Yang. The pieces then seemed to click. “Oh! So your dad is Golden Dragon!”

Yang proudly nodded. “Yup!”

“That’s so cool!” said Ochako as Blake took the list of heroes from Ruby. The cat girl scanned it briefly before dividing the list up between herself, Yang and Ruby, with each of the girls getting a short stack. 

“When it comes to internships, you want to choose a Pro Hero that you can trust and feel safe with,” she explained as she did so. “You’ll be shadowing them, so it’ll mostly be combat training and patrolling. It’s…” Blake froze for a second, her hand tightening its grip on the paper. “It’s well…”

Yang wrapped an arm around Blace’s shoulders, cutting her off with a grin. “It’s rare to actually see any action. Right?” After swallowing something down, Blake nodded. Yang looked down at the stake she had been given. “...your dad sent her an offer.”

“I think that was just out of courtesy.” Ruby looked down at her own papers, Ochako leaned over her shoulder to get a look at the names herself. One name on it put Ruby at ease, and made her giggle a bit.

“What about this one?” she asked, showing the list to Yang and Blake and pointing to the name in question.

“I don’t think Mr. Aizawa would forgive you if you went for her,” said Yang almost immediately after seeing the hero’s name. Ruby frowned. Mr. Aizawa didn’t seem to like a lot of people, or get along with them or that matter. But she had seen him hanging around Present Mic a lot in the halls. The name of this hero seemed to give off the same vibes as her English teacher. So why did he—?

“Hey, Ruby,” said Blake, her brow raised. Ruby hummed a response. “Did you check over this list?”

“Yeah,” Ruby replied, glancing up at her friend, “why?”

“Because Endeavor—”

“Nope.” The rest of the girls stared at Ruby like she had just grown another head. Ruby simply returned her attention to her own piece of the list.

“But isn’t he the number two hero?” said Ochako. “Oh! And if you work with him you could wo—”

“Nope. I don’t want to work with him.” And besides, after what Ruby had told her father about Endeavor, she doubted that she would be able to go work with him even if she wanted to. But as of right now she wanted nothing to do with Endeavor. At all.

“Hey, you got an offer from Madame North,” said Yang, looking at the paper with a bit of surprise. Ruby felt a familiar sense of tension fill her shoulders.

“Ms. Goodwitch?” asked Blake, getting a nod from the blonde. Wait, what? “Can a teacher even do that?” Wait, what?!

“She's a teaching assistant. While Ozpin’s here, she handles his agency. She doesn’t technically work at U.A., she’s just around a lot.” Ruby couldn't tell whether that explanation was for her and Ochako or for Blake. Possibly both. Yang turned to her. “Maybe you could go for her.”

Ruby hummed. “Maybe.” She had met with Madame North once before, shortly before the school’s entrance exam. And remembering that day… well... “She scares me a bit though. I can never tell what she’s thinking.”

“What about this one?” Ochako leaned forward onto Ruby’s shoulder as she spoke, pointing to one name on her list. “He calls himself the Doctor.”

“Sounds like a sci-fi hero,” said Ruby with a hum. Yang slid off of Blake in favor of taking over Ruby’s other shoulder.

“Oh yeah, Blake and I did our internships with him,” she said, trying to get a look at the paper her sister was reading off of. “He's a good hero and a good person. Even if he does talk a lot. Dad knows him pretty well, too, so I think you'll feel comfortable with him.”

“If you're ever in danger,” Blake’s hands tightened their grip around the papers she was holding as she spoke, not looking at the girls in front of her, “he'll be right there to protect you…” Her eyes slowly became unfocused as she trailed off. There was a moment of quiet.

“Blake?” said Ruby, growing a bit concerned at Blake’s sudden behavioral shift.

“Senpai?” asked Ochako. Yang immediately slid off of her sister. She put a hand on Blake’s shoulder, making the catgirl jump. Golden eyes blinked as Blake slowly began to return to reality.

“I'm fine,” she said with a shake of her head and a wave of her hand that got Yang to let go. “But yeah, Yang's right. He's a good pick. His Quirk is a speed-based one, much like yours. It might help you with your training.”

“Sounds like a match made in combat.” Yeah… Ochako had a point. She hadn't been able to work her Quirk to the fullest. No one in the family had a speed Quirk, making Ruby stand out somewhat… and run into snags while training.

Yang seemed to be reading her sister’s mind. “He can help you with your Quirk, too. We saw you sliding around a lot.” Sliding around? When was she… Oh. Ruby went a bit red in the face.

“You used your Quirk the best you could, but there were several times in the Sports Festival that you made mistakes,” Blake added. “You used it to run rather than fight.”

“I didn’t want to hurt anyone…” Ruby said with a short groan.

“And that’s a good thing for your allies. But you’ll need to hurt villains.”

Ochaok squeezed the shoulder she was leaning against. “Maybe he could help you go even faster for longer! Your Quirk relies on your stamina, right?” Ruby gave her a nod. “I'm as good as you or Deku, but maybe there is something you could learn from him. You could be able to use your speed more!”

“I hope so,” Ruby mused. She grinned, staring down at the name on the paper. “Alright! I made up my mind! I’m going with the Doctor!”

“The doctor?” The girls’ conversation ceased with the arrival of this new voice. They turned to find Midoriya making his way up to them, looking a bit concerned. “ Are you okay, Rose?” Ruby simply nodded to reassure that, yes, she was fine.

“Hey, broccoli boy,” said Yang as Midoriya finally joined them. Midoriya stared at her, a bit confused by the nickname. “Your hair.”

“Ruby picked a Pro Hero to intern with,” Ochako explained, sliding off of Ruby. “He’s got a speed Quirk and everything.”

“Oh, wow!” Midoriya's worry melted away into a grin. “Nice!”

“So,” Ruby began, curiosity taking control of her mouth as Midoriya went for his locker, “what did All Might want?”

“Aw, did you get in trouble with the teacher?” Yang said with a slight snicker.

Blake nudged Yang’s arm with her elbow. “Yang, stop teasing him.”

“Um… actually…” Midoriya, nonchalantly getting ready to leave, then told the girls what All Might had said to him. That got Yang’s teasing to stop immediately as eyes went wide.

“What? You got an offer?” Ochako said with a bright grin. “Go, Deku! That’s awesome!”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Midoriya cast his glance over to a single locker in particular. With a slight frown, he walked over and opened Iida’s locker. All that was in there was the speedster’s school shoes. Ruby found herself frowning as well.

Ochako seemed to read Ruby’s mind. “Aw man. Did Iida go home without us?” But they always walk to the station together...

“Iida?” asked Yang with a raise of her brow. “That kid who slammed into the wall?”

“His older brother’s Ingenium,” said Ruby simply. The look that crossed Blake’s face told Ruby that was enough of an explanation.

“I heard about that…” mused Blake aloud, her ears twitching. “I can’t imagine how he’s feeling right now…” Ruby only hummed, the group making the decision to finally leave, otherwise they’d miss their trains home.

_ I still think even though he isn’t acting like it.. there’s something wrong with Iida... _ He hadn't said anything else about what was going on with his brother. If anything, it felt like he was avoiding talking about it altogether.

Later, Ruby was surprised when she found out that Iida had decided to take on an internship in Hosu City. She wanted to say something, but thought against it. Iida was probably getting bombarded with reminders of what had happened. She didn’t want to make him feel worse than he already did. And again, he never really wanted to talk about it, not even going to his friends to do so.

Ruby would regret not saying or doing anything to him as their internships grew closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time: 
> 
> Chapter Sixteen: Field Trip
> 
> Ruby gets a taste of what its like to be a Pro Hero.


	16. Field Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Class 1-A's internships begin! And Ruby's hosen hero proves to be a bit more than she expected them to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled a bit with trying to figure out for something that Ruby needed to learn during her internships in order to help her progress as a hero, kind of like how Midoriya did with full cowling. I hope that what I did come up with is good enough.
> 
> Anyway, we start the kids' internships today! I know one of my amazing readers managed to piece together who Ruby was interning with, so that's awesome! There's also a small villain cameo hidden in the chapter, so if anyone can find it, major kudos to you.
> 
> There are no warnings for this chapter besides a bit more of Iida's bad coping methods.

To Ruby Rose, it felt like weeks rather than a few simple, short days before Class 1-A’s internships were set to begin. From the moment she turned in her choice, she found it hard to keep her mind from often wandering towards the next step in her hero training that he was going to take. She was finally going to get to do some hero work! Well… watch a hero do work, but still! She was going to be out in the field!

Everyone in Class 1-A was excited about internships. Just about everyone, at least. Although Iida acted like everything was normal, Ruby still felt like there was something… off about it. His words and his actions… The way he acted like everything was just fine felt like he was lying or wearing some sort of mask to hide the truth. But… if Iida said he was fine, then he was fine. She didn’t want to push him any further than his brother’s attack probably already did. Maybe he just needed some time…?

Ruby might’ve been from a Pro Hero family like he was, but none of her family members had ever been that badly hurt before. She didn’t know what to do or say to help her friend.

Before all of 1-A knew it, they were standing at a bustling train station and ready to be sent off to where Pro Heroes were waiting for their new interns — them. Each student had their bags and the numbered cases that held their hero costumes in hand. Ruby was fidgeting with her own, casting glances over at her friends while Mr. Aizawa relayed some last minute instructions to all twenty-one kids. It was reminding Ruby something of her own father and the way he acted before his eldest and brother-in-law left the house for an extended period of time.

“Everyone has their costumes, right?” said 1-A’s homeroom teacher. There was a chime of various ‘yes's from the class. Yeah, definitely sounded like Taiyang... “Remember, you don’t have permission to wear them out in public yet, and don’t lose them or anything.”

“Gotcha!” chimed out Mina, a hand held high in the air.

“Speak properly! It’s ‘yes, sir’, Ashido.”

Mina’s upbeat tone immediately dropped. “Yes, sir…”

“Make sure you mind your manners with the other heroes during your internships,” said Aizawa as the class giggled. “Now get to it.”

“Yes, sir!” said the students. One of the first to separate from the class was Iida, briskly making his way over to where his train platform was. Apparently, Ruby Ochako and Midoriya were working together with a single hive mind at that moment. They all ran to catch up with Iida before he got too far away.

Iida only stopped when Midroiya called out his name. “Hey, if you ever wanna talk or anything, just let us know.” Ochako nodded in agreement besides Midoriya.

“We’re friends, aren’t we?” Ruby added. It was only then that Iida turned to face them.

“Yes,” was all he said. With a solemn look, Iida walked away. Ruby felt a pit form in her stomach. Part of her wanted to reach out, to try harder… but what he was feeling now was probably worse than anything she ever experienced. What could she even do to make him feel better? She wanted to say something… anything, badly, but Iida was already gone.

When she looked back on that moment in the future, Ruby wished she had done something different and reached out right then and there.

Ochako separated shortly after that. As their internships were both in the same direction, Ruby and Midoriya found themselves taking the same train. Ruby curled up in her seat, sitting across from her friend. She couldn’t shake the bad feeling she picked up from their conversation with Iida.

“Hey, Midoriya?” Ruby asked, breaking the quiet between them. The boy hummed in acknowledgement. “Do you think Iida’s going to be okay?”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Midoriya replied, not really meeting her eyes. “Besides, we’re all going to be with Pro Heroes. If anything bad happens then… then he should be fine. He has our numbers if he needs to talk to me or you or even Uraraka.” Ruby merely hummed in response. They were both just saying things to try and get rid of this horrible feeling in the pit of their chests. At least, that’s what it felt like to her.

Ruby reached over and dug her phone out of the duffel bag she had brought with her. Unlike a few members of her class, her internship was far enough away that she ended up having to spend the week at her hero’s agency rather than go back and forth between there and home. Midoriya — judging by the large backpack he was carrying with him — was in the same boat.

Ruby unlocked her phone and opened up to the test shared between her and Iida. She scrolled through past messages. Most of the were about classwork and training tips that they had shared back and forth. Unlike her text history with Ochako or Midoriya or heck, any of her classmates whose number she had, there wasn’t an inkling of an actual friendship there. They were friends though. Ruby was certain of that. They cared about each other. They were kind towards one another, open and honest… They… They talked—

No… No. They didn’t talk. At all. Well, of course they talked. But they never actually  _ talked _ . It was only now that Ruby realized she knew so little about Iida’s life outside of a few things. She knew why he wanted to be a hero, she knew about his family’s line of work. And that was it. They never actually talked about anything that wasn’t school work or training with only one exception, and even then telling him about Torchwick had been instigated by her. Not him.

She wanted to change that. Ruby’s fingers hovered over the on-screen keyboard. She wanted to change that so badly. She wanted them to be able to be honest and open with each other. That’s what friends were for. Friends didn’t leave friends alone like this. But… she was unsure exactly what to say to do that. She sighed instead, leaning back in her seat.

“His answer wasn’t exactly uplifting,” she said returning to her conversation with Midoriya and tightening her grip on her phone a bit.

“Yeah…” Midoriya sonded about as downtrodden about the situation as she did. The train slowly came to a stop. Ruby glanced out the window at the station. 

“This is my stop.” Ruby stood, glancing over at her friend. “Stay safe, okay?”

Midoriya gave her a short nod. “You too. Good luck.”

“Right back at ya. Break a leg!”

“Th—” It took Midoriya a second to realize what Ruby was exactly saying as she gathered up her things. “Hey!” Ruby left the train with a giggle, her bag slung over her shoulder and her phone in hand. She could hear Midoriya snicker a little himself.

As Ruby stepped off the train and onto the platform, she found herself staring at her phone screen again. She should say something to Iida. She never backed down from anything before, and she’ wasn’t going to start now. ...so why is she hesitating? Ruby sighed. Maybe she’ll check up on Iida later. just a small text to make sure that he was doing okay. Or to ask how his internship was going. Yeah… that sounded like a good idea…

Ruby shoved her phone into her pocket. Right now, she had her own internship to focus on. Iida would probably just tell her to do that, anyway. She looked around the semi-crowded station she had arrived at. The Pro Hero she’s entering with said he would meet her at the station rather than his agency. So where…? She didn’t see anyone who looked like a Pro. Maybe she should have met him at the agency instead…

“Miss Rose, I presume?” said a voice from behind. Ruby turned, coming… well, not exactly face-to-face, but seeing a tall and lean man behind her. He had wild green hair, and wore thick, opaque glasses that kept his eyes hidden from Ruby.

“Are you ready to fight for your life?” the man continued.

“Uh,” Ruby blinked, tightening her grip on her costume case’s handle, “what?”

“You opted to work at my agency for the week, did you not?” It took another second for it to click. But still, Ruby stared at the strange man, raising a brow.

“Um.. so,” she looked him up and down, “you’re the Doctor?”

Much to her surprise, the man actually nodded. “While not on duty, it’s Dr. Oobleck.”

“Dr. Oobleck?” The Doctor… er… Oobleck nodded again. “Wait, you’re actually a doctor?”

“Not the medical professional you’re thinking of, but yes. I didn't earn the PhD for fun, thank you very much!” he said, as if reading Ruby’s current thoughts. He started to walk away from her. “Miss Rose, I hope you’re ready for what this week has in store or you. I can assure you that it won’t be an easy task to keep up with me.” Keep up? Ruby could do a bit more than that. with the help of her Quirk, she managed to zoom ahead of little and right in front of the hero. She stopped him dead in his tracks.

“I think I can manage!” she said with a little giggle.

“That’s what I like to see,” said Oobleck with a bit of satisfaction. “Come now; according to my schedule, we are already three minutes behind!” And possibly as an afterthought, “...schedule!”

And with that, Oobleck walked off at a quick pace, even without his Quirk. Ruby grinned. With a positive and upbeat attitude taking her over, she followed after him. This was her internship: day one.

* * *

The first thing that Ruby was hit with upon stepping into Oobleck’s agency was the incredibly strong scent of caffeine. There were a few sidekicks bustling about, either coming in or going out. She kept up pace with Oobleck, doing her best to absorb all that was around her while falling behind.

One thing that stood out to Ruby the most about the agency were the books scattered about. there were random shelves around the agency that were filled with them. There was at least one on each desk as well.

“This place looks more like a library than a Pro’s agency…” Ruby mused aloud, not thinking much about her words until they were said.

“I admit I fancy myself more of an intellectual, as do those who work for me” said Oobleck, entering his office with his intern following him, “but I can assure you, as a hero, I've had my fair share of tussles.”

Ruby blinked, tilting her head in confusion. “Like the mushroom?”

“Those are truffles.”

“Like the sprout?”

“Those are brussels.” Ruby hummed at that. She looked around Oobleck’s office. And she thought the agency itself was a library. The walls here were basically bookshelves themselves. the only blank spaces were where the windows were. Ruby cast her gaze along the spines visible to her.

“So…” Ruby began, unable to take her eyes off of anything lest she not soak it all up, “what’re all these books about?”

“History, Miss Rose,” Oobleck told her, making Ruby’s head turn towards him. She raised a brow. History? “Many heroes have strengths outside of their physical abilities to help them with their line of work. With my own expertise in history as well as archaeological surveys, I have been called many times all over the country.”

Ruby paused for a moment. “What does history have to do with being a hero?”

Oobleck sharply turned to face his intern. “Why, what a preposterous question, you silly girl! Why, history is the backbone of our very society! And the liver! Probably the kidneys, if I were to wager.” Ruby blinked.

“...I don’t know what that means.”

“If you know the history of the area, then what can you do?” the hero asked her.

“Uh… you’d know the buildings, I guess?” Ruby stared up at the ceiling, racking her brain for what could possibly be the correct answer. “Who lived there, the people…”

“Exactly. You know what people have ties where, what buildings are used for… things like that,” Oobleck explained to her, “You’d be surprised how easy it is to find villains with a bit of detective work.” It then clicked for Ruby. 

“Oh! You can find their hideouts?”

Oobleck adjusted his glasses and nodded. “Precisely!” Ruby’s phone suddenly felt heavier in her pocket.

“You could probably help over in Hosu then,” she said, her thoughts coming out of her mouth before she could stop them. “The Hero Killer’s been spotted there.” Ruby didn’t realize what she had just said until she actually said it. Oobleck’s brow raised behind his glasses.

“Why would a student such as yourself have interest in the Hero Killer?”

“Um…” the hold Ruby on of her costume case grew tighter, “just some news reports that were playing recently. And Hosu is the next city over so…” That and her friend had chosen to intern there.

“Lucky for you, there’s little need to be in that area.” Ruby sighed. That felt like a good thing. That and the hero didn’t seem to want to pry any further. “Suit up, Miss Rose. It’s time you get a taste of hero work”. She couldn’t help but grin at that.

Without another word and hugging her costume case tightly to her chest, Ruby rushed off in a burst of rose petals to get changed into her beloved hero costume.

* * *

As soon as Ruby was changed, she and the Doctor headed out. She followed him onto the city streets, which stranely were lacking in people. There were a few that were out and about, but not as much as Ruby expected to see. Her mentor-for-the-week didn’t seem to take much notice of this. Was it normal?

“You may still only be a student, but as of right now, your first day as a Pro Hero has begun,” said Oobleck er… the Doctor, who’s sudden speech made Ruby jump. “From this point onward, you need to do exactly as I say. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir!” said Ruby with a firm nod. She laced her fingers together behind her back as she picked up her pace to walk side-by-side with the hero. “So, what do we do first?”

“Straight to the point. I like it!” said the Doctor, pleased with Ruby’s answer. “As you’ve been informed by your teachers, being a hero isn’t always easy. Which is why you’ll be learning by doing this week.”

“So, the internships are to help us garner experience, right?” At least that’s what Ruby remembered Mr. Aizawa saying.

“Yes, but they also allow you to see how the world of Pro Heroes work.”

“Work?” The Doctor nodded. “Don’t you guys just… go out and save people? Stop villains? Patrol the streets?”

“It’s a bit more complicated than that.” Complicated? Her family didn’t make it look complicated. It looked really easy, actually. “Pro Heroes are — technically speaking — government employees. With the abilities that we have, we’re a bit different from ordinary workers.”

“But the basics of being a Pro Hero is stopping crime, right?” Once again, the Doctor nodded.

“When a crime occurs, the police contact the heroes. Their requests come in all at once, and are filtered out by a district. More often than not they focus on rescue operations and assisting with arrests. Once everything is done, we file reports on our services.” Ruby hummed at his explanation. It was a bit easy for her to forget that there was a business side to being a hero, too. Well… that and the fact that heroes could… well…

“Aren’t heroes allowed to do more than that, though?” she asked. “Like the teachers at U.A. Or how Present Mic does that radio show, too.”

“They are. There was a great deal of controversy surrounding that topic when the occupation was first being established. However, heroes proved to be more popular than excited and the public soon somae to demand it.” Oobleck stopped, bringing Ruby to a halt alongside him. “Now, Miss Rose. Are you ready to show me what you’re capable of?”

Ruby tilted her head. “Huh?”

“Here's are constantly practicing their abilities in order to keep sharp. Show me what you can do. See if you can keep up with me.” Before Ruby could question exactly what he was talking about, the Doctor zipped off in a blur of green. 

_ Pro Hero: The Doctor! His Quirk: Caffeine Rush. This Quirk allows Oobleck to move faster depending on how much caffeine is in his system. He has to be careful though. Too much of the stuff can cause his heart rate to skyrocket and he'l burn himself out. _

Ruby’s eyes widened. Okay… well… hands-on experience was the easiest way to learn, right?

Ruby took off after him in a burst of rose petals, needing her Quirk to keep up with him. It was lucky that the streets weren’t so crowded. Although she could easily maneuver her way around without worrying about hitting the few people that there were, there were still obstacles in her path. She nearly got tripped over a sign in the middle of the sidewalk, leaping over it at the last second. She slid under a low hanging banner (grateful for the thick braces that supported her legs as they skidded over the concrete). Ruby let out a brief yelp as she sidestepped a pole that she nearly ran into.

By the time she caught up to him, the Doctor had stopped running altogether. Ruby slowed down, coming to a stop beside him. That was… wow.

Ruby grinned, let out a breathy laugh. “Heh. Piece of cake!”

“Do not celebrate yet,” said Oobleck simply, “for I am certain this is the first of many tests.” Ruby blinked.

“So… that was a test…?” Oobleck nodded. He began walking at a pace that Ruby was able to keep up with now, without the use of her Quirk.

“What’s your average speed?” he asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Ruby blinked once again, and her brow furrowed as she thought about the question. “I uh… I think it’s around forty-eight kilometers per hour?” Or something like that. She had used her phone to help figure that out after Mr. Aizawa’s fitness tests on the first day of school out of plain curiosity. “I can go faster, like way faster, but it eats up my stamina quicker, too. I can’t do it for long.” Now that she thought about it, it works kind of the same as Iida’s special move from the Sports Festival. What did he call that? Something burst?

“So,” said Oobleck, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts. “Your Quirk relies on your own body’s energy, then?”

“Yeah,” Ruby replied with a nod. “I didn’t go as fast as I could at the festival because I would’ve…” her mind flashed back to her final move during the food fight with her classmates, “...caused damage.”

Now that seemed to catch the Doctor’s attention. “What  _ is _ your top speed, if I might ask?” Now Ruby knew this one.

“With full stamina, it’s about 190.” Her dad and Uncle had tested her top speed at least once a year since she entered middle school. That was the number she had been told prior to her entrance exams. “I think it only got up to about 115 during the festival, though.”

Oobleck first hummed at that, took a swig from the thermos he was carrying with him, and then simply said: “You’re stiff in your movements, Miss Rose.”

“Huh?” Ruby blinked. “But I move just fine.”

“Your combat requires you to build momentum, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.” It’s what she had been taught shortly after getting down basic combat forms about two years ago. She was relieved that she had the chance to figure that out thanks to the Pro Heroes she saw on TV since no one else in her family had a similar Quirk. Lucky for her, she had a family who was willing to help despite that.

“The more you move while using your Quirk, the easier it should be to do that. You’ve been able to use momentum you can build up to your advantage already. Movement, however, is a problem. You took the straight path. While logical, it leaves you vulnerable as well. If a villain can predict your path, then they can predict where they can hurt you. Do you understand?”

“...Yes,” said Ruby. She was sure she could remember that… right? Don’t go straight. How hard could that be to forget

“Shall we continue?” Ruby gave him a nod. Her mentor for the week started on forward. “And remember. Stray from the path.”

_ That is the opposite of everything I’ve ever been told ever.  _ And with that, he took off down the street, with Ruby following right after him.

* * *

And so, they continued. Ruby cut through narrowed pathways as she followed after her chosen hero. She slid around the concrete jungle, using whatever she could get her hands on ust to keep up. Even if he was periodically stopping to allow Ruby to actually catch up or take a moment to catch her breath.

It was… really weird to do, honestly. Ruby understood why he had her do this but she wished it wasn't so tiring.

“Excellent work, Red!” said the Doctor after… well, Ruby had lost count of how many times they had done that. And Red? Oh, wait. Ruby’s hero name. Right. “Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be any signs of criminal operations in this sector. Oh, well!”

He began walking at a normal pace. Probably because the agency was close by… and he probably picked up on the fact that Ruby is running low on stamina. The day had been.. different, really. ...actually it felt more like training back at U.A. It wasn’t what she had been expecting at all.

“Um, Doctor?” Ruby asked, fidgeting with the silver-roses that pinned her cloak to the rest of her costume. “I was actually kinda looking forward to seeing a Pro Hero in action. Like fighting?” And not having to fight alongside them for her life.

Oobleck turned on his heel walking backward and facing his intern. “Not every day is filled with daring and heroism. Sometimes it's just a heightened form of observation! “ Ruby tried to fight back a frown, but failed to hide it completely. He turned back around. “Remember, this is a job, and you signed up for it. I do hope you understand that.”

“I do! It’s just…” she sighed, shaking her head. All teachers were different. And he was the Pro Hero here. He knew what he was doing. “Nevermind. I’ll work on my momentum for tomorrow. You said that’s gonna help me, right?” Oobleck nodded. “Then that’s what I’ll do. That’s gonna be my combat training!”

Ruby picked up her pace, jogging back towards the agency. the Doctor followed shortly behind her. She was still in the first leg of her race to become a hero. Ruby had a long way to go and plenty of training to do before she accomplished that goal.

And maybe what Oobleck was teaching he could help after all.

* * *

The second day of Ruby’s internship was much like the first. She followed the Doctor through the city’s streets, patrolling and running in shorts spurts to keep up with him without losing too much stamina. She kept what he told her yesterday in mind: take the unlikely path. Ruby found herself jumping and flipping around obstacles and often using them to her advantage just to catch up.

She knew that this would help her in the long run. She just had to trust that the doctor knew what he was doing. As the sun began to set and the Doctor stopped to let her catch her breath once again, she wondered if this was a wise choice. Especially since he was staring at her as she leaned up against a wall.

“Sorry!” Ruby said quickly as she pushed off of the wall. A moment had passed, with the hero remaining silent. “Uh... Are we ready to keep going?”

“Nope!” said the Doctor, much to Ruby’s relief. “I believe that will have to do for today. It's going to be dark soon. One more lap around the perimeter and we’ll be finished. Come, Ruby.” He started to move again. And again to her relief, he was walking rather than running. Ruby hadn’t run that much since the final days before the entrance exam.

As Oobleck and Ruby rounded the corner of a building, the latter caught sight of something. Or rather someone. Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby caught sight of someone ducking into an alleyway. They had a coat pulled up to obscure their face, and long black hair that helped to do that. Ruby slowed her steps. She went to go after this person, with all sorts of bells going off in her head as she met with the person’s startling pink-and-brown eyes. A hand on her shoulder kept her from going any further.

“Stop,” said Oobleck, a firm hold on his intern.

“Huh?” Ruby stared at him. “But she—”

“There are a number of reasons why any one individual acts, looks or are where they are. People will pick up easily on any ill-intent.” Oobleck’s hand fell away. “We are heroes. We are meant to provide a sense of safety.”

Ruby glanced back at the girl. “So, what do we do?”

“We wait. If they are harboring any ill intent, then we’ll find out. They’ll lead us straight to their dealings, as well as any other crime that might occur.” 

“How long do we have to wait?” Ruby asked.

“It’s uncertain. Hours, days or weeks. But for now, we are strictly observing. If there are signs of trouble, then we can act. Fret not, Red. She isn’t concerned with us.” The girl hadn’t taken her eyes off of the two heroes. “Not every villain attacks mindlessly, despite what you were unfortunate enough to get involved in. Just because someone looks like a villain does not mean that they are.”

“I just…” Ruby shrugged, tugging her cloak around her shoulders, “you know. Want to be careful.” She didn’t want to be the reason a villain got away to attack an innocent another day… or worse. Attack kids her age. Just like what had happened less than a month ago.

“I don’t blame you,” said Oobleck with a short hum. “But people on the streets are not the ones you should be careful around. It’s villains that have fought. Villains that have lived. In that time between attacking heroes and civilians and committing various crimes, they have done one important thing: They've learned. They've learned that when they attack alone, they're likely to lose. What we lack in strength, we make up for in will, and that often one hero will bring more. So they wait, often until they can do the same.”

“Then why are they still around?” Ruby asked. “Why do they still do bad things?” If they knew that there would be heroes to stop them...

“Because they wait for the right moment to strike when we are at our weakest,” the Doctor replied, his tone low and serious. “To strike when we least expect it. When we think we’re safe. Those are the truly dangerous villains.”

The girl disappeared around a corner, but not before sending a sharp glare in Ruby’s direction. Oobleck began to walk away as well. Ruby, however… she remained in the same spot. Is that why villains did what they did? Is that why they attacked when they did? Is that why…

Ruby’s mind flashed back to the USJ. The villains that attacked them… The warping villain Kurogiri.. Roman Torchwick… and the ringleader of it all… the one who sought out to kill All Might… Tomura Shigaraki. Were they all waiting until their victims were least expecting it to attack? And All Might, fighting against their enemy to protect the students, despite his own injuries… and the memory of Mr. Aizawa wrapped thick bandages afterwards, hiding an expression of pain for his class.

She began walking again, picking up her pace to catch up with the Doctor.

“Doctor? Can I ask you something?” Ruby got a hum out of him. “I was wondering... why did you become a Pro Hero?” The Doctor, a little to Ruby's surprise, then softly smiled.

“Look around and tell me what you see.” Ruby did as she was told.

“Lots of old buildings, uh, empty streets…” She wasn’t sure what else there was. Or where the Doctor was even going with this.

“I see lives that have been saved.” Ruby blinked, returning her focus to him. “As a Hero, it is my job to protect the people, and although I am capable of doing it with my Quirk, I believe I can make a much larger impact if I do it with my mind. I'm able to take knowledge, the most powerful weapon of them all, and place it in the hands of every student that passes through my doors. This area once was decimated and has rebuilt itself from the ground up time and time again. I see lives that have been saved, but I also see an opportunity; an opportunity to study and learn from tragedy, and therefore become stronger. “ Oobleck came to a stop, looking at his intern who had halted as well. “I am a Hero, Ruby, because there is nothing else in this world I would rather be.”

“I asked your sister and her friend the same question when they interned for me,” Oobleck finished, continuing walking. It took Ruby a second to do the same thing. “Those girls are incredibly brave.”

“Yeah…” Ruby thought back to the conversation she had with Yang and Blake when looking through possible internships. the way Blake reacted when talking about it… it felt like something was… well, it felt like Ruby was missing a piece of the story, actually. She turned to the Doctor. “Can I ask what happened while they were with you?”

“That... is not my story to tell,” said the hero. “I suggest you ask them next time you see them. If they’re ready to talk about it. They’ll let you know if that’s the case, then.”

Ruby tilted her head. “What do you mean?”

“Sometimes, people go through things that they would rather not recall. Traumatic experiences, whether they be firsthand or second,” Oobleck explained. “It may take awhile before they open up to you about it. That is if they are ready. Your sister and her friend fall under that category.”

_ Something traumatic…? _ A thought came into Ruby’s mind. Something traumatic...

“Um… would a loved one almost dying count as something like that?” she asked. “Like an older brother that you’re really close to?”

“I suppose so,” the Doctor replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Um.. Just wondering…”

* * *

The moment that Ruby could see the agency in the distance, she picked up her pace with her Quirk borderline-active. She darted inside, her mentor for the week not that far behind her. A few members of the agency still lingered behind in the lobby, either just arriving for the night shift or getting ready to return home for the day. Ruby could smell something good coming from the upper floor of the agency’s building.

“Indoors!” she cried out happily, pulling her cloak tight over her shoulders. “So... warm…” Despite it being May and summer being just around the corner, it didn’t excuse the temperature drop at night. 

“Eat your dinner and hurry to bed,” said the Doctor. Ruby nodded, already working on unfastening her cloak for her shoulders. “We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir!” Ruby replied with a mock salute.

Ruby did as she was told, getting her hands on the source of the delicious smell and filling her empty stomach right back up. Afterward, she jogged up the stairs to another floor of the agency. Last Night, one of the Doctor’s sidekicks was kind enough to show her to this part of the agency, as well as the small bedroom where she would be staying for the week.

Remembering her mentor’s words, Ruby quickly got ready for bed. She had a bright and early start tomorrow. And this was just day two. But still, there was a buzzing in the back of her head that kept Ruby from feeling tired enough to close her eyes. She dug her phone out of the bag in the corner.

After her conversation with Oobleck she felt like she now had the right words to say. Ruby opened her text conversation with Iida.

**Ruby** : I know that you might not be ready to talk, and I don’t wanna push you either. I just want you to know that we meant what we said yesterday, you can talk to me if you need to. 

**Ruby** : Or even Midoriya and Ochako. We’re friends. And that’s what friends are for. 

In hindsight, Ruby tacked on one more message for good measure.

**Ruby** : Good luck with your internship and stay safe!

It took awhile for Ruby to get her answer. She had already changed out of her costume by the time her phone buzzed with a reply. She snatched it up almost immediately.

**Iida** : Thank you, Rose. Good luck to you, too.

Ruby sighed. She leaned up against the windowsill of her temporary room. The lights of the city illuminated everything. Yup.. this definitely was different compared to home. She looked down at her phone again, as well as Iida’s message. He was in pain, and Ruby wasn’t going to make it any worse. She would wait instead, for when he felt comfortable coming to his friends to talk to them.

But as she readied for bed that day, there was one though in Ruby’s mind that kept her at peace.

Things would be better tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things would not be okay tomorrow. Things will get progressively worse.
> 
> Oh, and for the record, Ruby's top speed when using up her full stamina is 190 kph, as stated in the fic. That's about roughly 118 miles per hour. During the Sports Festival, though, during the obstacle course, she only hit 71 mph. Conversions~
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Seventeen: Heroes and Villains
> 
> Trouble is put into motion.


	17. Heroes and Villains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ozpin discovers something quite unsettling and Cinder continues to question her life choices.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The following chapter contains blood and stabbing courtesy of the Hero Killer. Also a bit of my special slow burn. It's a blink-and-you'll-miss kind of thing
> 
> Cinder, as always, is just done with Shigaraki. That's part of the reason I actually write her out in this fic -- their dysfunctional relationship. It's great to build up on.

The dimming light of the sunset streamed in through the teacher’s lounge window. U.A. High School had been unusually quiet for the past few days without the first year hero course students there. Well… a bit quieter in Ozpin’s opinion. It was certainly less eventful. For those who taught the first year hero course, that must've been a blessing. They barely had to come into work that week.

Unless they were Toshinori, who had stayed late that day on purpose. He had been asked to buy Tsukauchi halfway through the afternoon. He had asked for Ozpin to be there as well. The man’s thoughts were confirmed when the detective told him that it was related to the case he was currently working on.

As Ozpin slipped into the teacher’s lounge, a tray of drinks in hand with him, he heard Tsukauchi begin his report. “I’m sorry to show up unexpectedly. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Please, it’s always a pleasure to see you, Tsukauchi,” said Toshinori as Ozpin shut the door. He moved quickly to where they sat, placing the tray on the table between his friend and the detective.

“Here,” he said as he did so. Toshinori began, reaching for one mug on the tray, however, that contained something very different from the other two. Ozpin batted away his hand before he could touch it. “That one’s for me, not for you.” He knew full well that Toshinori can’t have sweet things like that too often, or just about at all with his health issues.

“You can’t blame me for trying,” said Toshinori with a small chuckle. He turned to the detective. “So, how’s the investigation?”

“Well, there were a number of villains who attacked the USJ. But we’re puzzled by one,” said Tsukauchi, getting right down to business. “The one you fought who they called ‘Nomu’.”

“Ah, that strong bird guy.”

Tsukauchi nodded. “We went ahead and ran some tests on Nomu’s DNA.”

“What was it you found?” Ozpin asked. “You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t…” he swallowed something down as he picked up his mug from the table, “important.” The detective’s expression turned grim.

“First: We’re not asking either of you to help us with the case.” Well that was never a good way to start off a conversation. “Technically, this is a leak. I just felt I owed it to you to let you know. It could lead us to the one in charge.” Ozpin raised a brow, doing his best to hide his interest behind one of the mugs on the table. “After several attempts at interrogation, we realized that Nomu can’t speak. He shows now reaction to anything. It’s as though he literally can’t think for himself. No matter what’s going on around him. The detective slid forward a photo of a young man. “As for his identity: We discovered that he used to be a low-level thug with a record of assault and extortion.”

“Why do you think this’ll lead us to the mastermind behind the League?” asked Toshinori.

“Here’s where it gets interesting,” the detective continued, his expression turning more grim. “Our reports show that he’s been altered drastically. When we analyzed his genetic makeup, we discovered four different people’s DNA.” Ozpin stared at him. He hadn’t seen the villain for himself — he had stayed at U.A. in order to protect the students who were there — but… how was that even possible?

“Someone combined people’s DNA to make this guy. So is he even human anymore?”

“I don’t think so,” said Ozpin, staring down at the photo. “They took someone that no one would miss and turned him into…” He tried to fight back the shiver that ran up his spine. “Frankenstein’s monster.”

“In a way, yes,” said Tsukauchi with an unfortunate nod. “The transformation is a result of drugs and other unknown methods. To oversimplify a bit, has been modified so that his body is able to hold multiple Quirks at once. His brain’s apparent lack of processing power probably comes from the burden that causes. But we’re more concerned about his DNA. He shouldn’t have more than one power.”

_ More than one…?  _ The two men stared at the detective as he continued.

“Even if new DNA is introduced, that shouldn’t give a person multiple powers. Not unless it’s completely interggrated into someone’s body. Not all Quirks work like One for All. But maybe…” Out of the corner of his eye, Ozpin saw Toshinori’s widen, “...there’s someone out there with the power to pass different Quirks on to other people.”

Toshinori sharply gasped, standing straight up. “It can’t be!” Panic was starting to settle in. Ozpin reached for his cane, tightly gripping its handle.

“Given the evidence, I think it’s a reasonable conclusion,” finished Tsukauchi. The whole thing left a bad taste in Ozpin’s mouth. 

“Are you sure about this?” he asked. “We saw his body. His head was smashed in. I saw it myself.” He had nearly vomited when he saw the mess the villain had become, gagging heavily and refusing to look at the corpse after a single glimpse. He could still remember how strong the scent of blood was that day… how it stained everything — Toshinori’s hands, his face, his left side, Ozpin’s and Mirai’s clothes...

“I wouldn’t have come if I wasn’t.” That’s not what Ozpin wanted to hear. “I had to let you know immediately. Toshinori wandered over to the window, wrapped up in his own thoughts. Ozpin didn’t like the look had had on his face.

“Toshinori—”

Steam began to come off of Toshinori’s body as he shifted into his more muscular form. “No. It’s not possible. Don’t tell me he’s back again.”

Ozpin didn’t want to. So he said nothing, trying to fight back the bit of pain that was choking him. That peace that they had… it was never really there to begin with, was it?

And now… now the choice to tell Izuku Midoriya about…  _ him… _ about everything… was slowly becoming less of one and more of a need.

* * *

Cinder Fall was stewing in her own frustration. The evening’s chill air was starting to nip at her, with her Quirk doing little to keep it away. How did she even get herself in this mess in the first place? ...Oh right… it was once again because of that  _ boy _ .

It had been a day or two earlier. She was sitting in  _ that _ bar — her least favorite place to be. She had allies of her own to worry about and a plan that needed to be worked on. She did not need to be checking up on a brat who went and got himself shot multiple times. But Cinder would never said such a thing out loud. The Queen would have her head if she did.

But still… in that moment, she found herself quietly surprised by what had started to go down. Tomura Shigaraki — the “leader” of the League of Villains was attempting to coerce the infamous Hero Killer to their side. Cinder had been sitting at her usual spot at the bar, draining a glass as she watched him work. She imagined the Hero Killer to look more… presentable than the wannabe mercenary covered in rags and blades that she had found herself staring at that day.

“Now I get it,” said the Hero Killer a while to their conversation, which at this point had mostly been awkward. as Tomura Shigaraki had on people skills. “You must be the ones who attacked U.A. And you wanna recruit me to build up your little group again.” Cinder had cringed when she heard that. He wasn’t quite wrong, but has to associate with… those two.

“Yeah,” replied Tomura. “It’ll be great, you’ve got so much experience.”

“And what’s your mission?”

“For now? I really just wanna kill All Might. I like to destroy anything that pisses me off.” Cinder bit back a grave at Tomura’s answer. Such childish aspirations… Tomura held up a picture of a plain-faced, green-haired U.A. student. “Like this little brat here. Game over.” Stain’s eyes narrowed.

“I was a fool to think you could offer me anything. It turns out, you're the type of person I hate most in this world,” he said. Cinder bit back a groan. Tomura shouldn’t have opened his mouth. “The goals of your ‘league’ are those of a child.” Stain reached for the knives strapped at his sides. “What meaning is there to killing if you don’t have real conviction?”

That should have been the first sign that something was about to go wrong. Tomura Shigaraki — from what Cinder could tell — only cared about violence and what he could do to achieve it or total mayhem. She assumed that was the reason the Hero Killer was brought to that bar that day. He was meant to help guide him because apparently (in Cinder’s own opinion at least) his teacher couldn’t.

“This was a mistake,” Cinder remembered herself mutering, her grip on her glass tightening as she emptied it, using it to hide her words. Apparently she wasn’t the only one who thought that.

“Master,” said the black-misted covered villain Kurogiri, turning to the monitor that was set up on the other side of the room. “Should I step in?”

“Let it happen,” said the so-called Master, still too afraid to show his face (even if it was over a simple screen). “It’s possible this is the only way he’ll learn anything. He needs to think about the ways he must grow. How he can mature! Only then will he reach his potential.”

After that.. Cinder wasn’t entirely sure what had happened next. That moment was a bit of a blur. She could remember a knife coming at her. The empty glass in her hand had become molten, forming into a glass shard fast as lightning. Then the next… She couldn’t move. It was like some invisible force was crushing her, keeping her body in place.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Kurogiri was in the same situation: bleeding from his arm and rooted in his spot behind the bar. Stain, meanwhile, had Tomura Shigaraki pinned to the ground with a knife buried into his shoulder.

“So, you want me to be a part of your crumbling little league,” hissed the Hero Killer. “But you won’t accomplish anything if you don’t have conviction and desire. Without those, you’ll always be an aimless weakling. Achieving nothing. That’s how you got here.”

From where she was stuck, Cinder could hear Tomura inhale sharply, as if trying to control his already heavy breathing. “Hey, now. You’re being a little rough, aren’t you? Kurogiri, take this guy back.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t move,” said Kurogiri, a knife wound similar to Cinder’s own in his arm. It hadn’t just been her that had been frozen. “It must be the Hero Killer’s Quirk at work.”

Cinder, at the time, found herself briefly wondering what the Hero Killer’s Quirk was.

“The word ‘hero’ has lost all meaning in this society,” the hero killer had said. “The world is overrun by fakes and criminals like you who chase petty dreams. They must all be purged.” He pressed the knife close to Tomura’s throat, seemingly intent on cutting it to end all further endeavor there. But Tomra simply grabbed the blade before he could.

“What do you think you’re doing? If you touch his palm…” The blade had then cracked under Tomura’s hold, the sound reverberating off of the bar’s walls. “I’ll kill you.”

In hindsight, and thinking about it now, Cinder could have sworn that Stain looked almost afraid when he saw Tomura’s Quirk at work. The knife had continued to crack more the longer Tomura held onto it. 

“You sure talk a lot, Hero Killer. Conviction?” Tomura then continued, the metallic blade starting to rust. “Maybe I don’t have anything as loaded as that.” With the blade so rusted, Tomura was easily able to crush it into dust. “If I had to choose a desire, though… Yeah, it’d be killing All Might. If this world wants to worship trash like him, I’ll destroy their beloved symbol of peace and thn crush them while they’re in shock.”

Stain had a good enough mind to jump back before Tomura could get a grip on him. Tomura stood, his shirt briefly sticking to the floor because of the bloody puddle that had formed underneath him.

“The last of my injuries was finally about to finish healing, and now this. You should learn not to play with knives,” Tomura hissed. Blood dripped from his wound and down his arm. He scratched at his neck. “We don’t have a healer in our party, you know.”

“I see your nature.” Tomura actually had gasped at Stain’s words, stopping his movements altogether. “It seems our goals fundamentally oppose each other. However, this wasn’t in vain. We agree that we need to destroy the present.” A heavy pause hung in the air.

“I’m over this. Leave, drop dead.” Tomura turned away from him. “I’m the kind of person you hate most, right?”

“I was testing your motives,” said Stain, sheathing his knife. Cinder couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Testing his motives? “People always show their true colors when on the verge of death. It’s abnormal, but there is desire, a warp sprout of conviction, inside of you. How will it bloom in the end, I wonder. Maybe I’ll let you grow. If you don’t turn out well, I’ll take care of you later.”

“You think you can get rid of me?”

Out of the corner of her eye Cinder caught sight of Kurogiri moving once more. “I’m free.”

“Good for you…” Cinder muttered to herself through her teeth. At the time, she still couldn’t find the ability in her to move.

“Kurogiri,” said Tomura, “Someone as crazy as this would be nothing but a problem for the League of Villains.” Oh, how ironic that statement had been considering Tomura’s own mental state half of the time.

“Please reconsider,” said Kurogiri, trying to change his pitiful leader’s mind. “This man will be a great asset if he joins us. I'd say this was a success.” No one else made a move to agree.

“My business here is done. Now, you will return me to Hosu.” A shiver ran up Cinder’s spine as the Hero Killer then liked his lips with an unspoken thirst for blood. “There are still several false heroes I must attend to there.”

That’s exactly what Kurogiri had done. And now they were here, two days later. On a random rooftop in the middle of Hosu City. Kurogiri had brought both Cinder herself and Tomura there to meet with the Hero Killer once more. The Hero Killer was a man that Cinder would respect. He was quick and efficient in his work. In fact, she respected everyone here but one person. Concerning Tomura Shigaraki… that ship had sailed long ago.

“Hosu City looks… cleaner than I expected,” Cinder mused to herself before glancing over at the ragged, knife-riddled man. “So, Hero Killer. What are you going to do?”

“I will reform it,” said Stain, crouched down and not making a move to look at any of the newer arrivals. “In order to do so, blood must spill.”

“You have a clear goal,” mused Kurogiri aloud. “Your dedication is admirable.”

“Ah… “ The Hero Killer stood. “Finally, someone who understands.”

Tomura began to run a finger along the edge of the wound the Hero Killer had given him. “I get the feeling you enjoy picking on me.”

Cinder cast a glare in his direction, saying in a tone low enough for only him to hear: “You make it fairly easy.” The Hero Killer thankfully didn’t hear. He just continued on with his previous speech.

“‘Hero’ is a title for those who've accomplished great deeds! This city is full of false champions. All they care about is money and fame. Until this world realizes its mistakes,” Stain said, withdrawing the sword on his back, “I will continue my work.” 

He then leapt down into the city below like some kind of spider. It was… quite an impressive feat of athleticism, to be frank. How the hell did he not break his legs? Cinder shook her head. ...It didn’t matter. What mattered was that Stain’s little speech just now seemed to rile up Tomura.

Tomura began scratching himself again. “He talks all high and mighty and stuff, but he’s wasting his time focusing on a small stage. He’s so noble I could cry.”

“You shouldn’t spurn his methods,” advised Kurogiri. “The reality is, in all the cities where Stain has appeared, the crime rates have fallen. Perhaps because heroes are more conscientious, or perhaps out of fear.” Tomura’s scratching only got faster. “Regardless, he does bring change.” The man made of mist was right. It wasn't the change that Cinder and the League she’d been forced to work with were aiming for, but it was changed nonetheless.

“Oh, isn’t that just wonderful,” Tomura was being increasingly sarcastic enough that it made Cinder roll her eyes. ...at least he had stopped scratching himself. “Heroes are working harder thanks to all those murders. I guess you could say our ‘Hero Killer’ is also a ‘Hero Breeder’.” Tomura huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “...This is getting boring. It won’t work. We just can’t agree on a basic level. And he annoys me. Kurogiri, bring out the Nomus.”

Bring out the what? From behind him, Kurogiri opened a portal. Three, large and monstrous-looking creatures with bulging eyes and exposed brains stepped out. Cinder found them disgusting to look at. When the hell…? That’s what the Nomu were?

“You think you can get away with stabbing me? When I get tired of you, I’ll kill you. Whenever I feel like it. Just like that, Stain,” Tomura said with a chuckle. “But let’s make it more interesting. How about Icrush our honor and your pride first? What do you say, big bad Hero Killer?”

Cinder let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. She had enough of this for one day. And besides...

“Kurogiri, if you would,” she said, turning to the man made of mist. “I have business on my own to attend to. Something that might actually be productive.” She glared at the back of Tomura’s head, but he was too lost in his own mind to even acknowledge what she had said.

Kurogiri bowed in her direction. “Of course,” he told her. There was a good man with a good head on his shoulders. 

Kurogiri opened yet another portal of whirling black mist behind Cinder. Cinder cast a glance back at Tomura just before she stepped inside of it. He was still lost in his own game. She sighed, finally taking her leave. She has things to take care of… 

...and a hero’s home to find.

* * *

If Ruby wasn’t used to it, she was sure that her legs would feel like lead. She walked beside her mentor for the week down the sidewalk, trying to regain her lost stamina after that last heavy bout of running. She felt like it was lucky that this stretch of street hadn’t been used in a very long time due to a nearby expressway being built. At least not by vehicles. If Ruby remembered correctly, the Doctor had said something like ‘a building isn’t the ideal place for someone like you and I to be’. And a place this, however, was.

“Your movement is getting better,” said Oobleck once Ruby was able to keep up with him again, “It seems like you’ve taken my words to heart.”

“Yeah,” Ruby replied with a nod. “It’s weird to be able to bounce around like that.” It was like a ping-pong ball in a machine or something. And it aws… well, Ruby wasn’t quite sure how it felt. She was still trying to get used to it.

“It helps you build your momentum for a more powerful blow. But I assume you already know that.” Ruby gave him another nod. “Just keep in mind to be careful. Your speed relies on your stamina. The more you move, the more likely you are to run out of it sooner.”

“So, I need to be careful when moving around? Do it enough but not too much.”

“Exactly!” Ruby blinked. that… only confused her, if she was being honest. “That just confuses her. “It’s not a technique you want to waste.”

“So it’s kind of like a special move?” asked Ruby, trying to make sense of it.

“Not necessarily,” the Doctor told her. Ruby groaned upon hearing that. Was there any straightforward explanation?! “You figure it out in due time, I assure you. I took myself a while to piece it together. It’s harder to explain than it is to practice.”

“So, you want me to run for now?”

“Well, yes, but keep in mind speed can be used for more than that.” It could? “It can be used to bring things closer… create various whirlwinds if you move fast enough.” Bring things closer… whirlwinds…? Why did that sound kind of familiar…? Wait!

“Oh, I’ve done that! Well,… kind of?” The Doctor cast a glance over at his intern as Ruby went on, spinning her fingers around each other to try and convey what she was thinking about. “I once tripped while running and ended up spinning. It caused this thing to happen that kinda… pulled everything towards me.”

“The word you’re looking for is slipstream,” Oobleck said, drawing Ruby out of her recollection. “It’s a stream of fluid, such as air or water behind a propeller. It can cause a forward suction as it follows behind something that is rapidly moving, in normal cases a vehicle. But in this case, it would be you.” That… sounded about right.

“Yeah. I’ve been trying to do it again, but so far…” she thought back to her disaster during the Sports Festival’s obstacle course, “it hasn’t worked.”

“If you can master your movement, there is the possibility you may be able to perform that move again. Perhaps you’ll eventually be able to change direction in mid-air.” She could… Was that even possible?

“You really think so?”

“I don’t think. I know.” Ruby could stop herself from grinning. He thought she could actually do stuff like that. She was able to do it. She was capable of it. All she needed to do was—

The sudden shaking of the ground lurched Ruby out of her thoughts. Her head turned towards a distant bang that had resounded on her ears. She could see smoke.

“What was that?” When Ruby didn’t get an answer, she turned to her hero mentor. He had a phone in hand, reading over some sort of message. “Doctor?”

“There’s trouble down in Hosu City,” the Doctor promptly replied, shoving the phone away. “They need all the help that they can get to contain it. Are you ready to run, Miss Rose?”

_ Hosu? _ That’s where Iida was interning. The smoke and the ground shaking… Some srt of natural disaster? Either way, it didn’t matter. If they need all the help they could get, her friend could be in danger—

“Rose!”

“Uh,” Ruby, filled with vigor and worry, snapped back to attention, “yes, sir!”

And with that, the two dashed off towards Hosu, wth Ruby silently hoping that Iida was alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had one certain person in mind when writing that Frankenstein line. I won't say who it is because that plot point has only be dropped in the manga, and I don't want to spoil anime-only fans.
> 
> Cinder's plot is part of my brand of Slow Burn, you might be able to figure out what exactly she's doing by the end of the final exams. Sorry, guys.
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Eighteen: Facing the Hero Killer
> 
> "Stay away from him, you can't do long-ranged attacks!”  
> “I know, but I don’t want you to do this by yourself!"  
> “The two of you, just stop it! Why are you doing this? His fight is with me!"


	18. Facing the Hero Killer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious text from Midoriya has Ruby and Todoroki racing towards their friend's location in the middle of a burning Hosu. It's time to meet the infamous Hero Killer: Stain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: The following chapter contains the first half of the Hero Killer fight. Be prepared for blood, mentions of injury, and the attempted murder of fifteen year olds because of Tenya Iida's unhealthy coping methods. Again, it's the Hero Killer fight, so don't expect any less.
> 
> You guys really didn't think that I would leave Ruby out of this fight, right? Heck no. In the earlier stages of the AU, I was considering it, but that's not what happened. We're here now, and this is happening. Let's go!

When Ruby heard that there was trouble in Hosu City, she initially thought that it was a natural disaster. Maybe that rumble she felt was an earthquake or something that brought down a building. Oobleck wouldn’t have brought her with him if it was something dangerous. That thought was only supported when she saw the smoke coming in the city’s direction.

But that thought was immediately dashed when she saw the things that had caused them. Several creatures were terrorizing the citizens, causing mass destruction on both the ground and in the air, as one of them had wings. And Ruby’s face went pale. She recognized those creatures. They were almost exactly like the one that All Might had fought back at the USJ.

Nomu.

They looked different than the guy Ruby saw before, but there was no denying it. It was Nomu. They had the same eyes and spilling out brains and everything. What is it doing here?! If it had the same powers as the one All Might fought at the USJ, then they were in some serious trouble. The entire city… and Iida… Crap!

A massive explosion sounded, causing Ruby to snap back to attention. There was a second, and a third. The closer she and her mentor or to Hosu, the more that Ruby could see that it was burning. The central area of Hosu was at least, but even that was enough to do something. And grow worried.

_ What is going on?! _ Was it the League of Villains again?! Ruby sincerely hoped that it wasn’t.

She didn’t have much time to think about it. She and Oobleck ran around the corner with Ruby jumping over a fire hydrant as she did so. She was starting to slow down, either unconsciously trying to conserve stamina or running low in reality. But either way, it allowed her to fall behind. And she started to run towards a building that was starting to collapse.

“Red!” Ruby heard Oobleck yell. She came to a screeching halt, instincts taking over as she threw her arms over herself, stumbling back and tripping on the sidewalk. Before there was any sort of impact, Ruby felt an immense heat wash over her. There was a crash behind her. Ruby pushed herself up. The rubble was burning.

“You should be careful,” said a deep, particular voice. Ruby looked up at the imposing figure that had saved her. It was one Pro Hero that she hadn’t expected to see today, and honestly, in her opinion probably made her current feelings even more sour.

_ Endeavor… _ ! Ruby let out a short yelp as someone pulled her back on her feet.

“Are you okay?” said the someone. Ruby looked up at that pleasantly familiar voice. She grinned.

“Todoroki!” she near exclaimed, somewhat relieved to see a familiar face. “Er… uh… should I call you Shouto…?”

Todoroki let out a small, somewhat annoyed sigh. “Is that really important?”

“Since we’re out here, yeah.” Todoroki let out a huff as he let go of her. Oobleck had turned the moment the rubble started to fall and had made it back to her.

“Rose,” he asked, quickly looking the girl over, “are you alright?” From the corner of her eye, Ruby could see Nomu again and the fire’s glow.

“I’m fine, I’m fine!” she said quickly. “But there are bigger things to worry about.” There was another boom that shook the ground beneath them, making the two younger heroes stumble in the process. 

“There’s trouble ahead!” said Endeavor, as if that weren’t obvious enough. But, he was right. The entire group started racing towards the source of this mess. Ruby let her pace with her classmate, glancing over at Todoroki as he ran along beside her. It only now clicked for her as to why he was here.

“You took an internship at your dad’s agency?!” she borderline exclaimed. But Todoroki couldn’t stand his dad so why—?!

“I have my reasons,” was his curt reply.

“He didn't force you, did he?”

“No, I—” There was a small vibrating noise from his pocket. Todoroki slowed down until he stopped altogether, Ruby soon following after. He pulled out his phone. His father didn’t seem to like that very much.

“Dammit! You should be watching me!” Endeavor shouted towards his son, even though it didn't seem to do much. In the next instant, Ruby caught a brief glimpse of worry on Todoroki’s face before he took off in the opposite direction. “Hey, wait!

“Todoroki!” Ruby cried out, surprised as her classmate suddenly pushed past her.

“Where the hell are you going?” shouted Endeavor.

“An alleyway at 4210 Ekou Street,” Todoroki called back, not showing any sign of stopping or slowing down. “If you finish what you’re doing or see extra Pros, send them there. I’m leaving you here to take care of this trouble. I’m sure you can handle it yourself.” What?!

“Todoroki!” Ruby shouted. Todoroki didn’t hear her. He was going off on his own! While there was danger! Making up her mind quickly, she turned to her hero mentor. “Uh… sorry, Doctor!”

Ruby went off after Todoroki. She heard Oobleck shout her name. She didn’t listen. She just kept running towards her classmate.

“Todoroki!” she called out as she drew closer and closer, hoping that he could hear her. “Todoroki, slow down!”

“That’s ironic, coming from you,” Todoroki called back to her, although he didn’t slow his pace. Ruby finally caught up to him with the help of her Quirk, dropping it as soon as they were side by side. Todoroki still had his phone clenched tightly in his hand. “Considering how close you seem to be, I’m surprised your aren’t using your Quirk right now.”

Ruby blinked, raising a brow. “What are you talking about?”

Todoroki handed his phone off to her. “Midoriya’s message.” Looking down at it, all Ruby saw was that it is his location. Like Todoroki said earlier, it was in an alleyway. She left her phone at Oobleck’s agency to cut back on distractions while out, but Ruby held little doubt that it had received something similar. “I haven’t known Midoriya for long, but I don’t think he’d send something so… cryptic.”

“I’ll say…” Most of their texts between each other were in  _ paragraphs _ . “Do you think he might be in trouble?” That caught Todoroki by surprise. He slowed down and came to a stop, with Ruby doing so as well, mostly to catch her breath.

“I…” Todoroki’s eyes widened. There was a beat, as if that thought had only occurred to him now. “...I’m stupid.” Before Ruby could ask what he meant by that (since it was wrong, Todoroki was in the top ten of the class), the half-and-half boy took off running again. With a groan, Ruby dashed to catch up to him. She managed to out pace him, finally cutting him off and keeping him from going any further.

“Stop doing that.” She was at the end of her rope. “What are you talking—?!” Todoroki grabbed her by the shoulders.

“This—” he gestured to the Nomu and the fire behind them— “isn’t the only problem in Hosu.” Only problem in Hosu? What else was going on that—?

Oh.  _ Oh _ . Oh no. Midoriya somehow got himself tangled up with the Hero Killer, didn’t he? With that in mind now, Ruby acted quickly. With much warning, she wrapped her arms tightly around Todoroki.

“Rose, what are you—?!” Todoroki started to exclaim, silenced a little as Ruby provided a tight squeeze.

“Hold on tight to me,” she told him. “I can get us there faster.”

Todoroki wrapped his fingers around the back of her suit. “Can you even carry me?”

“I’m stronger than I look. Just hold on and keep your phone out so I can see exactly where we’re supposed to be going. And uh… sorry about this next bit. People tend to get… dizzy the first time.”

With ease, Ruby picked up Todoroki a little bit off of the ground — and honestly, was surprised that he was a bit lighter than she expected. Muttering the address to herself and keeping her eye on Todoroki’s phone, she managed to navigate the streets the best she could. Not far from the target was when Ruby stopped running. She let go of Todoroki, allowing him a moment to get his bearings again.

“You alright?” she asked as he slid off of her. Todoroki shook his head, clearing it as he braced himself up against a nearby wall for a moment. 

“I’m fine,” he said once he straightened up. “Let’s go.” Ruby gave him a nod and the two rushed into the alley.

“Midoriya!”

The sight they came across was something that Ruby didn’t expect at all. Midoriya was sprawled across the ground a fair bit away from the alley’s entrance. Closer by were two figures — also on the ground — that Ruby couldn’t quite make out. One was a Pro Hero, she knew that. There was another by him, and an imposing figure covered in rags and blades standing above them both. He had a sword drawn. Light bounced off the blade and onto the silver armor of the figure beneath it.

Wait… silver armor? There was the glint of a familiar helmet drawing attention to a familiar pair of now broken glasses nearby. Panic began to surge in Ruby’s veins.

“IIDA!” she cried out.

“GET AWAY!” shouted Midoriya at the same time. 

_ Fwoosh _ . 

A burst of flame rolled off of Todoroki’s left arm and blasted towards the ragged figure. He jumped out of the way, avoiding getting burnt and backing off of Tenya Iida.

“Midoriya.” With fire still licking his left side, Todoroki held up his phone. “You need to give more details in times like this. I was almost too late to stop this guy.”

“You too, Todoroki? Rose?

“How’d you get here?” asked Midoriya. His eyes went wide upon finally getting a decent look at his saviors. “Hold on, Todoroki, you’re using your left side?!” Oh… Yeah, wait. Ruby hadn’t noticed this adist the sudden rush of panic.

“How’d I get here? Good question. Your message took a while to figure out,” said Todoroki, not taking his eyes off of their opponent for a second as the flames on his left side dwindled. “Next time, try to send more than just your specific location. But you’re not really one to send cryptic messages without a reason, are you?” From his right foot, a large patch of ice rushed towards Iida’s would-be assailant. He dodged, but what had been done was done. The ice crawled under the Pro Hero and Midoriya, lifting them both. 

“We figured out that you needed some help when we realized what must’ve happened,” Ruby finished explaining as Todoroki’s ice slid the villain’s victims safely towards them

“Everything’s okay. The Pro Heroes will be here any minute!” Todoroki launched another jet of fire at Stain in order to keep him at bay. Ruby crouched down and caught both the Pro Hero and her classmate at the bottom of the ramp.

“You guys okay?” she asked. It was hard to make out any sort of injury in this darkness, even with the light provided by Todoroki’s flames.

“Could be better…” said Midoriya, sounding pained as he seemingly spoke through his teeth. “I can’t move…”

Ruby blinked. “What?”

“You’re just what they said you were,” said Todoroki, snapping Ruby out of her thoughts and bringing her towards the present. “But you won't be taking any more lives, Hero Killer.”

So it was the Hero Killer after all. She understood why a Pro Hero would be here, but why would Iida..? Sure, he was interning in Hosu, but... It then clicked in Ruby’s head what probably happened to get them to this point. He didn’t… She looks back at Iida. He didn’t meet her gaze. He had.

Tenya Iida had gone after the Hero Killer for what he had done to his brother. Ruby knew that he hadn't been alright.

“Todoroki! Rose!” Midoriya called out to the two of them. “You can’t let that guy get your blood. I… I think he controls his enemies’ actions by swallowing it. That’s how he got us!” Got them? Right… they hadn't moved of their own accord at all since Ruby and Todoroki got there.

“He ingests blood to keep people from moving. That explains the blades,” Todoroki slid into a central defensive position. “All we’ve gotta do is keep our distance.”

Ruby dug her heel into the ground as she stood up. “Easier said than done…”

Without much warning, a knife suddenly flew between the two of them. While Ruby managed to dodge it thanks to her Quirk, Todoroki wasn't so lucky. It sliced open his cheek. Without the fire to keep him away, the Hero Killer descended upon them with a large knife.

“Ya have good friends, Ingenium,” said Stain. Ruby raised a brow. Ingenium? Since when was Iida Ingenium? “Or you did!” 

Todoroki tred to block him with a pillar of ice. Wait, where was his sword? Didn’t he have one of those? Something reflecting the moon’s light in the air caught Ruby's attention.

_ His sword!  _ He threw it the same time as the knife. 

That distraction was just enough for the Hero Killer to get close. He grabbed Todoroki’s collar, extending out an almost inhuman tongue to lick up the blood on the boy’s cheek. Todoroki responded by setting his left side ablaze to get him to let go. The moment he did, Ruby — with the help of her Quirk — kicked Stain with enough force to knock him away.

Todoroki responded in kind, switching his fire for ice as he created a wave of it to keep Stain at bay. The Hero Killer was quick, dodging and slashing the frozen water in half after catching his sword. He was stronger than he looked. Todoroki took to switching between fire and ice, doing anything he could to keep the Hero Killer away. When Ruby moved in to help, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

“Stay away from him,” he just about commanded, “you can't do long-ranged attacks!”

“I know, but I don’t want you to do this by yourself!” Ruby replied. There was no way that he was going to get her to let him do so.

“The two of you, just stop it!” Iida begged from behind them, eyes starting to brim with tears. “Why are you doing this? His fight is with me! I inherited my brother’s name. I'm the one who should stop him. The Hero Killer is mine!” Ruby felt herself falter a little. The attack on Ingenium had changed him, definitely, but this much… She hadn’t realized…!

“You’re Ingenium now? Strange,” Todoroki said, not batting an eye as he switched elements. He erected a massive wall to try and trap the villain. “The Ingenium I knew before never had a look like that on his face. You’ve got a dark side. Guess my family isn’t the only one.”

Midoriya grunted as he tried to move, doing his best to fight against the Hero Killer’s Quirk. “Careful, Todoroki!”

Stain slashed through the wall of ice Todoroki created.

“Ya blocked your own field of vision against an opponent who’s faster than you,” Ruby heard Stain say as he came for her and Todoroki. “Rookie mistake. “

Todoroki pushed Ruby back behind him with his right arm and ignited his left. “Come and get me then!” As if taking his words to heart, Stain threw a pair of switch-blades at the boy. The knives stuck into Todoroki’s forearm, the sudden burst of pain doing well to douse his flames.

“Todoroki!” Ruby cried out.

“You’re good, kid,” hissed the Hero Killer. “Unlike him. “ He was switching directions. Sword drawn, the Hero Killer went for the paralyzed Pro on the ground.

“Watch out!” Todoroki shouted. Ruby moved quickly, pushing the still paralyzed Pro Hero out of the way of Stain’s blade. The sword instead met Ruby’s cloak, stabbing through it and into the ground. It had to be luck that her legs remained uninjured from the blow, or maybe it was because of how thick her braces were. Either way, she was caught.

Ruby frantically went to tear away her cloak, but could barely tug on it when she was roughly pushed down. The Hero Killer’s boot then pressed down on her chest, pinning the girl to the ground. Ruby looked up at him, fear prominent in her eyes as she struggled to free herself. Stain raised his knife.

“You…” He froze for a split second. “You have silver eyes… Too bad those won’t be able to save you!” Ruby felt a scream get caught in her throat as he brought the knife down.

“ _ ROSE _ !” A ball of green electricity came flying at the stain. Izuku Midoriya — somehow suddenly free from his paralysis — rammed into the Hero Killer, grabbing him and holding on tight. He slammed Stain against the wall of the alleyway, dragging him down the brick and away from Ruby before his blade could so much as nick her.

“Midoriya!” Ruby cried out. Just what was…?! It clicked. His Quirk! He was using his Quirk!

“I’m not sure why, but I’m able to move now!” Midoriya called back to his friends.

“So he has a time limit,” mused Todoroki aloud. Ruby pulled the sword out of her cloak, tossing it as far away from her as possible and stood up. 

“No, that kid shoulda been the last one to be freed,” Ruby turned to the Pro Hero laying behind her. “I still can’t move a muscle.” Stain finally sharply elbowed Midoriya off of him. He landed a bit away from the heroes, while Midoriya hit the ground in a failed somersault.

“Midoriya, dodge!” shouted Todoroki. Despite that failure of a landing strategy, Midoriya did as he was told, jumping out of the way as Todoroki sent a wave of ice to keep the Hero Killer at bay. The green-haired boy scrambled to his classmates’s sides.

“Midoriya, what was that?” said Ruby, partially in amazement over what she had just seen. “How’d you…? I mean, thanks but…!”

“It’s a long story…” he told her. But this was a bit too much excitement to contain.

“Deku, was that your Quirk? But you’re not breaking your bones! And you’re using your Quirk!” But he always hurt himself when he used his Quirk! Unless he finally figured out how to control it—

“We’re all proud of Midoriya for doing that,” said Todoroki, snapping them back to reality and glancing at the pair out of the corner of his eyes, “but we can talk about this later! Focus.”

“Right,” said Midoriya with a short nod, turning his attention back on the Hero Killer. “He swallows a person's blood to freeze them, but I was the one freed first. And I've got three different guesses why. His Quirk could be less effective the more people he uses it on. The amount ingested could play into how long it works. Or there could even be a difference based on a person’s blood type.”

“If it’s the last one, my blood type is B,” said the Pro Hero on the ground. Ruby felt a bit of tension creeping up on her. He was Type B…?

“I’m type A…” added Iida. A chuckle from the Hero Killer brought the children's attention back to him.

“So you figured it out,” he said. “Bravo. very impressive.” Part of Ruby silently praised Midoriya’s observational skills, but...

_ Type… _ Ruby glanced down at the Pro Hero behind her before swallowing something down. Oh no. Now she really couldn’t get close… or at least… she had to be extremely careful doing so.

“It doesn’t really help us much to know how his Quirk works, though,” Midoriya thought out loud. 

“I thought we could hurry and carry those two out of here, but it’s no good. He’s too fast. He can dodge ice and fire,” said Todoroki, an arm firmly on his wound. “The only person who could get them out is Rose, and while she may be able to carry someone our size, there’s no possible way she could carry them at the same time or without struggle. No offense.”

“None taken,” Ruby replied with a short sigh. He had a decent point.

“If I were to do it, I’d have to leave myself unguarded. And you…” Todoroki glanced over at Midoriya, “I’m not so sure. Our best option is to hold until the Pros arrive and avoid close combat.”

“No, you know you’ve already lost way too much blood. Rose and I can distract him while you support us from behind.” The red energy of Midoriya’s Quirk took his body over before it started cracking with green electricity. “He can’t focus on all of us at once. Sound like a plan?”

“You want us to take a pretty big risk. ...Okay.”

“I got your back!” said Ruby as Midoriya stood.

“We can protect them!” With Quirks ready to go, the three students stared down the Hero Killer. he had recovered by now, and was more than ready for a fight.

“Three against one, huh?” said Stain, his blades flashing in the moonlight. “This fight won’t be easy.”

He was right. The students weren’t going to make it easy… for him.

Midoriya rushed towards Stain, bouncing off of the walls as if he were a ping-pong ball. Ruby dashed opposite him, thinking back on her lessons with Oobleck. She needed to use the area around her to create momentum for stronger hits.

Todoroki attacked from his singular point, creating waves of ice in order to protect the other two from any of the Hero Killer’s advances. Ruby found herself rushing back and forth, trying her best to keep Stain’s eyes on her rather than on Midoriya and Todoroki. She was formless, but it was doing the job.

Ruby swung her leg just as Midoriya rushed by, trying to kick the Hero Killer. Unfortunately for her, he managed to dodge it at the last second. Midoriya didn’t have much luck either, trying to punch him from behind only to miss. Todoroki came through with his ice once again, creating walls between them and the Hero Killer in order to keep him from countering. As Stain dodged the ice, Todoroki set a jet of flames at him. 

The more the children fought against him, the more Stain... well, Ruby wasn’t sure how to describe what happened. The Hero Killer became frecious, as if enraged he could complete his hit. Finally, despite their best efforts, one of his knives struck the students. It sliced through Midoriya’s leg, cutting it open and forcing him to drop to the ground.

“Midoriya!” shouted both Ruby and Todoroki. Acting on instinct alone, Ruby rushed forward, swinging her leg and aiming for Stain’s face. The toe of her boot collided with his cheek. Before he could retaliate, Ruby pushed back a petal-filled burst of speed. A stream of fire kept the Hero Killer from her as well as Midoriya. Midoriya didn’t get back up from where he fell. He had been paralyzed by Stain.

By now, Iida was in tears. 

“You have to run,” he said as Ruby fell back towards Todoroki again, “I can’t watch this!”

“You wanna make your brother proud?!” Todoroki shouted, sending out a wall of ice to follow after Ruby as she rushed Stain again. “Then stand up and be Ingenium!” The Hero Killer sharply elbowed Ruby in the stomach, throwing her back as he went for Todoroki. He sliced through the ice as if it were nothing. “Become the hero he wanted you to be!”

Todoroki flared up his flames to keep Stain at bay. The Hero Killer still rushed in closer and closer still, as if the immense heat had no effect on him at all.

“Watch your right!” called out Midoriya. A pillar of ice and a plume of fire kept Stain away, but he still came right back for Todoroki again, with Ruby dashing from behind. She tried to hit him, to kick him or something, but his reaction time was insane. He managed to evade her. Ruby herself narrowly missed being slashed before jumping back. Despite being attacked on all sides, Stain managed to avoid Todoroki’s next combination of ice and fire. He was determined to get to the boy.

“Ice and fire,” Stain said, deftly doding yet another burst of ice from Todoroki. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you you rely on your Quirk too much? Makes you a careless fighter.” 

Nothing that Todoroki was doing was working. He couldn’t keep the Hero Killer away. And Stain was getting closer, his sword tight in hand. He swung his blade as he closed in on him, going in for a fatal blow that could sever Todoroki’s arm. Ruby’s eyes widened.

“Todoroki!” both she and Midoriya cried out.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Iida move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize if the beginning felt a little rushed. I needed to fill in the gap prior to the fight, as well as having some way or Ruby to meet up with Todoroki prior to getting to the alley.
> 
> I am not apologizing, however, for leaving off on that cliffhanger. Or having Ruby kick Stain in the face. It started out as a coincidence, but it's a personal goal for me to have her kick at least one villain in the face during every major villain attack/fight.
> 
> Next time--
> 
> Chapter Nineteen: Survival
> 
> “That doesn’t look good…”  
> “My leg or…?”  
> “Both.”
> 
> “I’m sorry!”  
> “ROSE!"


	19. Survival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The fight against the Hero Killer continues. With Iida in the game, can the kids make it out of the alley alive?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like the previous chapter, this one contains blood, injury and the attempted murder of a bunch of fifteen year olds.
> 
> It's time to finish up the Hero Killer fight! Let's get into it! Enjoy!

It all happened in a flash. One second, the Hero Killer Stain was swinging blade, about to cut off Todoroki’s left arm if not more than that. In the next, Iida was on his feet again, the effects of the Hero Killer’s Quirk having completely worn off. A fierce sense of determination was burning in his eyes.

“RECPIRO BURST!” Iida’s engines revved up, allowing him to move fast enough to get to Todoroki in time. He swung his leg around, colliding with Stain's sword and breaking it clean in half. A follow-up strike sent the Hero Killer flying backward.

Midoriya grinned. “Iida!”

“You’re free, too?” said Todoroki, slightly surprised. “Guess his Quirk isn’t as great as I thought it was.”

“Todoroki… Rose… Midoriya…” Iida began, “This has nothing to do with you. I apologize.”

Midoriya let out a short groan. “Come on, not this again…” 

Ruby snapped back to reality, having been far too fixated on what had just happened to move. She rushed over to where Midoriya was, crouching down to his side and helping him up. He winced as soon as his injured leg touched the ground. Blood trickled down his ankle from the cut Stain made, sticking to the fabric of his hero costume.

“I’m okay.” Even from this distance, Ruby could see a fire burning in Iida’s eyes. “And I won’t let the three of you shed any more blood for me.”

“It’s no use trying to pretend you’re a hero now, A person’s true nature doesn’t change in just a few minutes. You’ll never be anything but a fraud who prioritizes his own desires,” the Hero Killer spat, eyes blazing with fury. “You’re the sickness that’s infected society and ruined the name ‘hero’. Someone must teach you a lesson.”

“You’re a fundamentalist lunatic,” snapped Todoroki before turning to the armored boy. “Iida, don’t listen to this murderer's nonsense.”

“No. He’s completely correct. I have no right to call myself a hero… at all.,” said Iida as blood dripped down his arm and onto the ground. Ruby’s breath hitched in her throat. He thought… what?! “Even so… There’s no way I can back down. If I give up now, then the name ‘Ingenium’ will die!”

Even in the midst of all the danger, Ruby felt herself smile. “There’s our Iida…”

“Pathetic!” snapped the Hero Killer. Enraged by Iida’s words, he moved in to attack. He was only kept back with a blast of fire from Todoroki.

“Idiots! The Hero Killer is only after me and that kid in the white armor,” shouted the still paralyzed Pro Hero that laid on the ground behind Todoroki and Iida. “Stop fighting back — just get out of here!”

“That’s not what a hero would do!” Ruby replied, making sure that her voice was loud enough for both her friends and their attacker to hear. “They fight to protect everyone, no matter who they are!”

“I don’t think he’d let us run even if we wanted to!” Ruby’s grip on Midoriya grew tighter as Todoroki spoke. “Something clearly changed in him just now. He seems rattled.”

Ruby swallowed whatever was rising in her throat down. “That doesn’t look good…”

“My leg or…?” Midoriya said, trailing off as he looked out at the situation in front of them.

“Both.”

Todoroki continued to attack Stain with wave after wave of ice. The Hero Killer deftly avoided them all, slashing through the crystals with his blade. Ruby couldn’t get in close with her blood type being what it was. And she wasn’t sure how long it would last on her, either. All she knew were two things. One, if Stain got her blood, she would definitely be out of the fight. And two, Ruby had to keep away from him and protect the others. That's what a hero did.

Todoroki switched from using ice to using fire, but not even that was enough.

“He’s going to kill them…!” Ruby felt Midoriya start to pull his weight off of her as the effect of Stain's Quirk started to wear off. He sharply gasped as he tried to put his own weight on his injured leg, lifting it as soon as he could.

“You can’t walk with your leg like that!” chastised Ruby. She heard Midoriya groan, probably because she was right. Ruby looked back at Stain and her friends. Midoriya might not have been able to do anything, but she could still move just fine. Her speed had helped her avoid any sort of damage from Stain’s blades thus far. But there wasn’t much that she could do. She’d be risking her own safety jumping directly into the fray, and trying to use her Quirk to get Stain away from Iida and Todoroki was…!

It hit her.

No… No, that was possible. Her speed could create whirlwinds that dragged objects with it. And such a move could also do serious damage… Bakugo’s finishing move at the Sports Festival taught her that much. But the last time Ruby tried to do it ended up with her getting a mouthful of dirt and a face-full of minor explosives. She pressed her lips together, gritting her teeth as her eyes narrowed.

Just because it failed once and had only been successful because of an accident didn’t mean that she couldn’t try to recreate her slipstream again.

“I don’t like that look on your face,” said Midoriya, and Ruby could feel his hand curl around her suit.

“Then you’re not going to like this, either.” Ruby said nothing more than that as she set Midoriya down against the wall. She stood up as quickly as possible, with Oobleck’s words echoing in her head. ‘Use your surroundings to your advantage…’ He believed that she would be able to do it again… 

Ruby rushed towards the Hero Killer and Todoroki. She dodged the villain, coming to a stop in front of Todoroki’s latest burst of ice. She braced her foot up against it.

“I’m sorry!” Ruby shouted before dashing off in the direction of the Hero Killer, moving as fast as she possibly could go. She could do it. She could do it, she could do it, she  _ had  _ to do it _. _ Ruby bit down harshly on her lip before jumping up, twisting her body until she tried to spin.

All Ruby succeeding in was getting herself spinning on her heel like a top. She couldn’t get herself spinning the way she had done before. She stumbled, trying to get herself to stop or at least up in the air as she— 

She got dangerously close to the Hero Killer.

Ruby felt her heart jump into her throat when she saw the glint of that knife. Her eyes locked with his, and the next thing Ruby knew, there was a sharp sting travelling up her forearm. She cried out in pain .

“ _ ROSE _ !” Ruby heard her friends shout on the edge of her senses. She crouched down, her hands and feet skidding against the asphalt until she came to a stop. Her heart stopped altogether when she saw the tear in her suit, and her own blood making it stick to her skin.

“Pathetic little girl!” hissed Stain. He whirled around, and a knife whizzed by Ruby. She cried out as the blade sliced through her cheek. Before she could make any sort of movement to soothe the sting, she felt her limbs lock into place. Her eyes widened.

This was exactly what she wanted to avoid.

“Rose!” Midoriya cried out. Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Iida tried to move. All he got was smoke from his engines.

“Hey, Todoroki!” said Iida to the half-and-half boy beside him, “Can you regulate your temperatures?”

“Not well with my left,” Todoroki replied, “but yes, I can.”

“You gotta freeze my leg for me, without plugging the exhaust!”

The Hero Killer let out a vicious growl. “You’re in the way!”

He threw a knife at Todoroki. Too distracted, Todoroki wasn’t able to get away from it in time. But even then It didn't matter. Iida jumped in front of him, the knife lodging itself into his arm.

“No, IIDA!” Midoriya shouted. He tried to move again, but the pain in his leg wouldn’t let him.

“Why won’t you stay down?!” Stain hissed. He threw another knife towards the remaining mobile speedster. Iida cried out in pain as it struck the same arm, successfully bringing him to the ground.

Todoroki rushed over towards Iida, sending a chill through the air to put out his flames. “Iida—!”

“Just do it, hurry!” Iida shouted back.

“Midoriya—” Ruby started.

“Can you move?” said Midoriya quickly. if she could, she would have shook her head.

“No. But your leg—”

“It’s fine. You did what you could.” From her position Ruby could see Todoroki freeze Iida’s leg. Switching elements once more, he sent out blasts of flames to keep Stain away while Iida pulled the knives out of his arm with his teeth. He stood up.

“Recipro… EXTEND!” Iida shouted as he blasted upwards, rushing straight towards the Hero Killer. At the same time, Midoriya let the power of his Quirk flow through his veins again, launching himself towards the villain as well. The pair cut Stain off in mid-air. Iida’s leg collided with the Hero Killer’s back, while Midoriya’s fist met with his face. Ruby, from her place stuck on the ground, just about grinned at her friends’ combined attack.

_ Those are my boys…!  _ Midoriya pulled back immediately, clutching his arm with a pained expression. Ruby bit back a sigh.  _ Yeah… definitely my boys…  _

Todoroki flared up his flames. Lucky for him, the Hero Killer was too busy trying to cut up Iida with what remained of his sword. Iida narrowly managed to avoid the blade. The fire in his eyes had yet to go out.

“I will defeat you, Stain!” he said, gritting his teeth through it all. “Because you are a criminal!”

“Don’t let him get away!” Todoroki shouted, letting fire roll off his arm and blast towards the Her Killer. 

“And I am a hero!” With one last burst from his engines, iida kicked Stain even higher into the air. Todoroki’s fire hit him dead on. The half-and half hero switched to his ice, quickly created a wall for his friends to slide down and created a pillar to catch the Hero Killer before he could get closer to them.

“Stand up! Keep fighting!” But Stain wasn’t moving. He remained still a top Todoroki’s pillar of ice. Tension hung thick and heavy in the air. Ruby tried to move to get a better look at it, but her body wouldn’t let her.

“I think…” Ruby swallowed down whatever remained in her mouth as the adrenaline started to fade away. “I think you guys got him!”

Todoroki was the first out of the three boys to relax. “Then let’s restrain him and get him to the street. Maybe we can find some rope.”

“There’s a dumpster back here. Probably something in there that we could use.” Then again, who the heck would throw out a perfectly good rope?

Midoriya finally dropped his guard, letting out a short sigh. “We should take all his weapons, too.”

“Good idea,” said Todoroki before he turned to where Ruby was stuck. “Rose, could you—?” There was a beat. Now there it was. Ruby tried to move. She still couldn’t get back up.

“Rose!” the boys called. Before Ruby knew it, they were at her side. She tried to move to meet them, but it was like she was a puppet with severed strings. Her body was leaded stone, and she couldn’t budge no matter how hard she tried. They were injured, they shouldn’t have been running over to her the way they were.

“Are you okay?!” Midoriya asked, sounding slightly panicked. Todoroki thankfully helped her sit up in a more comfortable position. Blood dripped down her arm and onto his clothes. Most of the gravel that had stuck to the palms of her hands fell off.

“I…” Ruby swallowed something down, “I’m fine. I just can't move.”

“Huh?” Midoriya stared at her. “Rose, what's your blood type?” Well, there was no use in hiding it now.

Ruby sighed. “I'm type B.” There was a brief pause.

“So that's why you were avoiding attacking him from the front,” she heard Todoroki muse aloud. Ruby would have nodded if he could.

“I’ll be fine.” If Ruby could turn away from her classmates, she would. Guilt twisted her stomach into knots. “I’m just sorry I couldn’t help you guys.”

“Who says you didn’t help?” Ruby glanced up at Todoroki. “You did what you could. That’s all that really matters.” Still, she sighed as the still mobile kids got to work.

Midoriya, Todoroki and Iida stripped the Hero Killer of all the weapons they could find on him. Stain was unconscious all the while, with Ruby biting harshly on her lip as she watched them work. She wasn't sure when the Hero Killer would wake… yeah, they managed to actually find a rope in the dumpster, but… 

Eventually, the Pro Hero who had been in the alley lent a hand as his own paralysis started to wear off by hefting a limping Midoriya onto his back.

“Native, can you move?” asked the green-haired boy.

“Yeah,” said the Pro, “I think I’m as good as new now.”

Midoriya sighed as Native hoisted him higher on his back. “You sure?”

“I saw you hurt your leg back there. At least let me do this for you.”

Midoriya sighed again. “Thank you very much.”

“I should be thanking you.” From behind them, Todoroki had just finished tying up the Hero Killer.

“Todoroki,” said Iida as Todoroki finished remarking once more about their luck, “I can drag him from here.”

“Are you forgetting your arms are messed up?” Todoroki said as he adjusted the rope in his hand, wrapping it around his palm a few times to keep it in place. He turned to Ruby, who had been propped up against a wall. “And you hold still.” With the rope tied around his hand, Todoroki got down on his knees and carefully picked Ruby up off of the ground, doing his best to support the paralyzed girl without aggravating his or her injuries. “Sorry about this.”

“Todoroki, are you sure you can carry me, too?” Ruby asked as her classmate stood up, her instinct to grab onto his costume to steady herself nulled by the effects of Stain's Quirk. Todoroki simply nodded, but Ruby wasn’t convinced.

“I can throw her over my shoulder—” Iida tried to interject.

“As I said before, your arms are messed up. Rose doesn't weigh much, anyway. I'll be fine.”

Ruby bit back a groan. “Do I really not weigh that much?”

“Honestly, holding you is like holding a couple of grapes.” Ruby sighed, resigned to her fate as the group started to walk out of the alley. She stared at her friend and class representative. What he had been saying during the fight echoed in her mind. She knew that Iida had been in pain, she knew that. But everytime she tried to reach out, she either pulled back or he didn’t give her a chance to say anything.

And this… He had tried to fight the Hero Killer because of what he had done to his brother. And he still hadn’t said a word, even then.

“Iida…” Her fellow speedster slowed down a bit, glancing over at Ruby as she spoke. “Can I ask you something? We’re friends… right?”

Iida’s eyes widened for a moment. “Rose—”

“if we’re friends… then I want you to promise me something. Todoroki, Midoriya, the same goes for you.” Both of the boys looked at her. Ruby swallowed down something before continuing. She couldn’t do anything before, but now... “If we’re friends… next time you try to do something like this… bring me along with you? ...Friends don’t let friends do stupid things alone.”

“I…” Iida, surprisingly, was tripping over his words.

“You have my word,” said Todoroki, shifting Ruby into a more easy to carry position.

Midoriya nodded, gaze firm. “Got it.”

Ruby knew that look in his eyes. It was the same one he had during his fight with Todoroki… ...she could trust him to keep that promise. Both him and Todoroki.

“...Rose…” Iida trailed off, his gaze falling to the ground. Something twisted around Ruby’s heart. could he really not make that promise..?

“I have to apologize,” said Native, once again adjusting the student on his back, “I’m supposed to be a Pro, but I was useless back there.”

“No, I don’t think any one person could take the Hero Killer on,” said Midoriya, trying to reassure him. Ruby glanced over at where the Hero Killer was being dragged along. From her position, she could barely see him. “Not with that weird Quirk of his. He’s too strong.”

“The four of us barely won against him, and even then, it was because of his own mistakes,” mused Todoroki aloud. “He was getting riled up and desperate and forgot all about Midoriya’s quick recovery time. Then he wasn’t able to block Iida’s last Recipro Burst or Midoriya’s assault.”

“Right,” said Native with a short nod, glancing back at the Hero Killer, “let’s get him to the police as fast as we can.” They finally escaped from the dark confines of the alley. Ruby felt like she could finally breathe again… now only if she could move.

“What are you doing here, boy?!” A short, old man in a hero’s costume and long yellow scarf was the first to spot the group. And he did not look pleased in the slightest. Ruby caught sight of Midoriya tense up upon hearing his voice.

“Gran Torino!” he gasped. Ruby blinked. Who? She only had to assume that it was the old man currently zipping over towards them. “I was only—”

Much to the surprise of the entire group, the man’s foot directly collided with Midoriya’s face. “I thought I told you to stay on the bullet train!” said Gran Torino, fuming.

“Who’s this?” asked Todoroki, saying what was on just about everyone’s min at the moment.

“Gran Torino, the hero I’m interning with,” Midoriya explained with a groan. Ruby winced. She could not imagine spending a week with him. Midoriya rubbed his nose. “I don’t get it. How’d you find us?”

“I was told to come here by someone else,” Gran Torino explained. Ruby held back a groan. She had a pretty good guess as to who they were. “I have no idea what’s going on, but I’m glad you’re not dead, at least.”

“Me, too,” said Midoriya, glancing down at the ground. “And, I’m sorry.” The hero let out a ‘tch’ in reply. Usually hearing that noise come from Bakugo, Ruby wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one.

“Around the corner!” Now,  _ that _ was an extremely familiar voice. And the green blur Ruby saw out of the corner of her eye only confirmed its owner.

“And there’s there hero I’m interning with…” Ruby muttered under her breath, only loud enough for the small group to hear. Sure enough, the Doctor had arrived on the scene, with a few there Pro Heroes trailing behind them.

“Endeavor told us there was a request for help here, but…” said one of the heroes that had come to help along with the Doctor.

“Children?” said another in surprise. Oobleck moved towards the interns. Even in the dark, he could see his face turn a shade paler.

“Those injuries look severe,” he said upon seeing the blood staining their clothes. He turned to one of the other heroes. “Call an ambulance right away.” He was given a nod in return. “You’re just like your sister, Miss Rose, in every way. Well, almost every way.”

“Is that a good thing?” Ruby asked, a bit hopeful she wasn’t in trouble.

“In this case? Yes. ...and no.” Ruby held back a groan. Just what did that even mean?

“Hey, look.” The eyes of the heroes fell on one person in particular.

“Is that… the Hero Killer?” Ruby held back a sigh. About time that they noticed who the kids were dragging behind them.

“I’ll… get the police on the line!” While they got started on that, Oobleck kept his focus on the students.

“Can you walk?” he asked Midoriya as the latter slid off of Native’s back.

“If you prop me up, then I think so,” said the boy. Even so, Ruby saw him winced at the pressure he tried to put on his leg.

The Doctor turned to Todoroki. “And you?”

“Only minor injuries,” the half-and-half boy told him. He shifted the girl in his arms again. “Rose—”

“It’s just the Hero Killer's Quirk,” Ruby explained quickly, cutting off Todoroki. “I'll be fine in a few minutes. But, Iida…” She glanced over at her friend. The streaks and trickles of blood stood out against the silver of his armor. The Doctor took a step towards him, briefly taking Iida’s arm and examining the stab wounds.

“You’re bleeding very badly,” he said, Iida not looking at the Pro Hero, and simply letting his arms fall back to his sides when they were no longer supported. “The ambulance will be here soon, but until then… we just have to wait.” There was a pause.

“You guys…” Todoroki and Midoriya glance back at Iida, with Todoroki turning for Ruby’s sake. Iida wasn’t looking at either one of them. “You three were hurt because of me. I'm truly sorry. I was just so angry. I couldn’t see anything else.” Ruby could see tears starting to form in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, too, Iida,” said Midoriya. “You were going through so much by yourself. But I couldn't tell anything was wrong. Even though I’m your friend.” Iida shut his eyes, letting the tears stream down his face.

“Midoriya’s right,” added Ruby, feeling incredibly small in that moment. “I felt that something was wrong, but I didn’t know what to do, so I did nothing. I should’ve tried harder to find out what it was instead of just leaving you to handle it by yourself. I’m sorry that you had to go through all that alone. Friends shouldn’t make their friends do that…” The tears on Iida’s face started to come down faster now. Ruby wanted nothing more than to be able to move again, to be able to comfort him with more than just her words.

“Hey, pull yourself together,” said Todoroki, perhaps sensing what Ruby was thinking at that moment. “You’re the class rep.”

Iida let out a sniff, wiping his face on the back of his gloved hand. “Right.”

The brief peace was shattered as something swooped down overhead.

“Get down!” haunted Gran Torino. Almost all there followed though with the order... all but one. A winged nomu came down from seemingly out of nowhere, snatching up the one student who had failed to get down in time. Ruby felt her eyes widen.

“MIDORIYA!” she, Iida and Todoroki shouted. Oh no, this was bad— Why was she still paralyzed?!

“It’s bleeding! It must be trying to escape!” said one of the Pro Heroes. Nomu's blood had splattered on her face.

What happened next almost made Ruby’s heart stop. The rope in Todoroki’s hand had gone limp, and something was pushing past him. Ruby's breath hitched in her throat as she watched the Hero Killer — now awake and free of his bonds, pulled one of the Pro Heroes close. He licked the blood off of her face, paralyzing the monster above. As it started to fall, Ruby felt fear for her friend’s safety.

The Hero Killer rushed towards where Nomu was. He leapt up onto it with a knife in hand. Where did he get that?! They searched him—!

“The word ‘hero’ has lost all meaning in this society. The word is overrun by fakes and criminals like you. who chase petty dreams!” shouted the criminal. He proceeded to stab Nomu directly in its brain. It slid to the ground, and passengers with it. But… Midoriya seemed unhurt, with the Hero Killer having a grip on his hood as they fell. “You must all be purged. Everything that I do…” Stain tore the knife out with a spurt of blood from it’s victim, “...is to create a stronger society.”

Much like their heroes around her, Ruby could barely believe it. The Hero Killer…! Stain just saved Midoriya.

“Stay on guard!” the Doctor ordered as the heroes around him tried to figure out what to do next.

And then, as if the situation couldn’t possibly get any worse… it got worse.

“Why are you all standing around like fools!” Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby could catch sight of the street lighting up dimly. Endeavor had finally caught up. “The villain must have flown this way, right?”

“You took care of the rest?” asked one of the Pros.

“Mostly, things got a little rough at the end.” Endeavor then locked eyes with the Hero Killer. “Hold on. Don’t tell me that man is—”

“Endeavor…” growled Stain. Ruby’s eyes widened. He may be an asshole, but he was still a human being. A human being on Stain’s hit list.

“Hero Killer!” Endeavor charged up a fist of flame.

“Wait, Todoroki!” shouted gran Torino. Stain let go of Midoriya, the boy falling to the ground with a soft thud. He turned. His ragged mask fell away, revealing one thing he sought to hide. The Hero Killer’s face was almost skeletal — his nose had been cut off.

“You false hero! I’ll make this right,” said the Hero Killer, taking slow steps towards the group. Even though she couldn’t move, Ruby was shaking. She felt Todoroki’s grip on her body tighten. “These streets must run with the blood of hypocrites. Hero! I will reclaim that word! Come on! Just try and stop me, you fakes! There is only one man I’ll let kill me. He is a true hero. All Might is worthy!” 

And with the drop of a knife, his fearful spell over the heroes and the interns were broken. Stain didn’t move from where he stood. His eyes had gone blank. All there remained still.

“I think…” Ruby heard Endeavor say, “he’s out cold.”

And like that, the kids fell to their knees. Unable to hold himself up and keep a grip on Ruby at the same time, Todoroki toppled over, throwing on an arm at the last minute to keep both of them from hitting the concrete. 

It wasn’t until later that they would find out what had happened. The Hero Killer’s own Quirk backfired on him. His ribs had been broken during the fight, and he ended up puncturing his lung. He hadn't managed to lick anyone’s blood… But at that moment… no one — under paralysis or not… they couldn’t find the strength to move or stand against him.

Only the Hero Killer had any fight left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should note that we don't canonically know Ruby's blood type (at least at this point in time, I'm not entirely sure if that's information we'll ever find out). Her being type B was just an assumption that I made.
> 
> Next time--!
> 
> Chapter Twenty-One: What Followed
> 
> “Thinking about that fight now, we did something pretty amazing.”
> 
> “So it’s okay to break the law as long as it goes your way?”  
> “But sir, isn’t it a hero’s job to save people?” 
> 
> “You damned mutt!”  
> “Todoroki!”
> 
> “...I promise.”


	20. What Followed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Survival seemed like a miracle. But things fo the kids who fought the Hero Killer are all but settled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no warnings for this chapter that I can think of. So this is a chapter of pure enjoyment.
> 
> This chapter also went through like... three different titles before I settled on this one. It also includes one of my favorite scenes that I've written so far, so I hope you guys like it! Let's go!

The four U.A. Students were taken to the hospital, and that’s where they spent the remainder of the night… which led up to now. Shouto Todoroki, Izuku Midoriya, Ruby Rose and Tenya Iida were all in a hospital room together. The all four had their cuts and stab wounds bandaged. Iida’s arms, however, received heavy casts and were in slings. Each student sat on a separate bed.

It had been less than a day after the fight with the Hero Killer, and Ruby still felt like she was in the alley. No one had spoken a word all morning, with the exception of talking to doctors and nurses. Even then, they were quiet. The silence was almost suffocating.

“Did you sleep, Midoriya?” Todoroki asked, being the first to break through the uncomfortable silence that had built around them.

“No,” Midoriya replied with a small shake of his head, “not really.” Todoroki let out a short sigh.

“I figured. Me neither.”

Ruby stared down at her hand, flexing it repeatedly and feeling the mobility in her fingers. “After what happened last night, I’m not surprised.” She had been awake for a good while, even after regaining the ability to move. The whole of what had happened, while she never would admit it out loud, scared her. Having to watch her friends fight for their lives while she was frozen… The only thing that willed her to sleep was exhaustion. 

“Thinking about that fight now,” said Midoriya, “we did something pretty amazing.” Ruby’s gaze snapped up to him.

“Yeah, I agree,” added Todoroki.

“After everything that happened back there, it kinda feels like a miracle we’re even alive.” Midoriya glanced down at the bandages now wound around his left leg. “With my leg messed up and Rose paralyzed, we were easy targets. He probably could’ve killed us if he really wanted to.”

“Yeah.” Todoroki looked down at his left forearm. It had been stabbed at least twice, but unlike Iida’s stab wounds, thankfully hadn’t been as severe. “Seems to me he let us three live on purpose.” He looked to the boy sitting on the bed across from him. “I’m impressed by you though, Iida. He was actually trying to murder you, but you stood tall.”

“That’s not true.” Iida was avoiding everyone’s gazes, despite the fact that they were looking at him. It wasn’t true? “I was—” The room’s door saved Iida then, swinging open and stopping the conversation. The three of the heroes the four had been interning with — Gran Torino, Dr. Oobleck and a young man in a white-blue suit that Ruby had to assume was Iida’s chosen hero, Manual — entered the room.

“Oh, so the injured youngins are awake,” said Gran Torino. It was nearly 10:00 AM. Why wouldn’t they be? Ruby bit back a groan, not exactly meeting Oobleck’s line of sight while the others greeted their mentors.

Gran Torino was the first one to speak to his intern, walking over to where Midoriya sat. “Idiot. I could yell at you for hours right now.” Well… that was pretty harsh.

“Yeah, I’m sorry—” Midoriya said quickly, only to be cut off by the hero.

“But before I do, you’ve got a visitor.” A man with a dog’s head entered the room, causing Midoriya to gasp. “This is Hosu’s chief of police. Kenji Tsuragamae.” The chief of…? Ruby, Iida and Todoroki immediately stood up. Midoriya went to do the same, only to be stopped when the police chief held up his hand.

“No, please, stay seated,” said Tsuragamae with a short bark added at the end. “So, you’re the U.A. students who brought down the Hero Killer, huh?”

“We are,” said Todoroki, and Ruby could pick up the bit of ice he had laced into his voice. It was a bit strange. The police chief came all this way here? Why?

“Stain has some serious injuries. Severe burns and several broken bones.” Ruby glanced over at her classmates with worry. Had they really hurt the Hero Killer that badly…? “RIght now he’s in the hospital under strict guard, woof. Here’s a lesson you have already learned. When Quirks became the norm. the police force sought to maintain the status quo. They decided we wouldn’t use Quirks as weapons. That’s when heroes came in. They could do what we couldn’t, if they were licensed, of course, woof. It would be impossible for the police to condone the use of deadly Quirks. After all, we’re here to stop such harm from being done.

“The only reason Pros can use their powers now is because of the strict code of ethics that the early heroes chose to abide by. That’s why it’s against the law for non certified people to use their Quirks to cause injury. Whether you were up against the Hero Killer or not, none of you had the authority to harm the villain. That means the four of you, and your supervisors — Endeavor, Manual, the Doctor and Gran Torino — should receive harsh punishments for this gross abuse of your powers.”

That pushed one of Todoroki’s buttons.

“Now wait a minute,” he said, not trying to hide the fact that he was obviously ticked off. “If Iida had not stepped in, Native would’ve been murdered.”

“Todoroki—” said Iida, trying to pacify the situation somewhat. Todoroki ignored him.

“And if not for Midoriya, both of them would be dead. No one else even realized that the Hero Killer was in Hosu. Are you saying we should’ve just stood by and watched people die?” Todoroki moved forward, only held back when Midoriya swung his arm out.

“Calm down,” he said, sounding slightly panicked as heat radiated off of Todoroki’s left side and the air around his right grew colder.

“So it’s okay to break the law as long as it goes your way?” asked the chief of police. Todoroki sharply inhaled. Ruby felt something get stuck in her throat at that question, while Todoroki only grew angry once again.

“But sir, isn’t it a hero’s job to save people?” He was right, of course, but—

“This is why you’re not a full-fledged Pro yet. It’s obvious U.A. and Endeavor haven’t been teaching you near enough. What a shame.” And there was the straw that broke the camel's back. Something in Todoroki snapped. 

“You damned mutt!” He strode up directly to the police chief with a purpose and anger.

“Todoroki!” Ruby exclaimed as he passed her. She managed to grab him from behind at the last second, looping her arms under his in an attempt to hold him back. However, Todoroki was stronger than Ruby originally thought, dragging her a little as she did her best to ground herself on the tile.

“Todoroki!” said Iida hurriedly. “Listen, he’s right!”

Gran Torino raised a hand. “Stop there, kid.” Todoroki finally did, although his anger hasn't faded. “You’ll wanna hear him out till the end.” Sure that he wouldn’t try anything, Ruby let go of her classmate as Tsuragamae started to speak again.

“What I’ve said is the official stance of the police department. But any punishment would only be necessary if this went public. If it did, you’d probably be applauded by citizens everywhere. But there’s no way you could escape from being reprimanded. On the other hand, we could say Endeavor saved the day. Stain’s burns would support this story completely, and we could pretend you weren’t involved, woof,” the police chief explained. “Thankfully there were very few witnesses. This could be the last you heard of any punishments. It would mean no one would now about you, though. You’d receive no acclaim at all. The choice is yours. Personally, I know where I stand.” He gave the kids a thumbs-up. “I don’t damage any promising young careers. Not for a mistake like this.”

They… weren’t in trouble…? They had a choice? Ruby bit down on her lip. Giving Endeavor the credit sounded like the smart choice, but… it was basically lying, wasn’t it? Hiding the truth?

“Either way, we’ll need to take responsibility for being negligent as supervisors,” said Manual. H… right… Even if they did end up doing the right thing, all the kids had initially run off, despite their advisor’s warnings.

Iida walked up to Manual and slowly bowed to him. “I’m sorry. I should’ve listened.” The hero lightly chopped him on the head.

“Yeah! You caused us a lot of trouble. Remember that, and don’t do it again.” A wave of guilt washed over the students in the room.

“And…” Midoriya made the move to get up, but thought against it the second he moved his leg. “I apologize as well.”

Ruby bowed in the directions of the heroes, making sure to keep her head low. “I’m sorry…”

“Me, too,” added Todoroki. “We’ll leave it to you.” The decision was made. It may have been lying to everyone, but it was the only real option the four had if they wanted to become heroes. The truth of the fight against the Hero Killer would have to remain in the shadows forever.

“I know it’s not fair,” said the chief of police, as if sensing the kids’ unsettled feelings at this outcome. “You won’t enjoy any of the fame and praise you probably would’ve received otherwise. But at least, allow me, as the chief of police,” Much to Ruby’s surprise, he then lowly bowed towards the four of them, “to thank you.”

“You know.” Todoroki turned away, the last embers of his anger from before fading away. “You could’ve started with that.”

“Todoroki…” said Midoriya, smiling with content. None of them knew they’d end up fighting in that back alley, and in the end no one else would find out.

“Rose!” Ruby jumped when she heard Oobleck call out her name. She whipped around to face him. “A word.” She swallowed something down, but nodded. Oh no, here it came. She was going to get the lecture of a lifetime… and here she thought she wouldn’t be getting one of those until she got home.

Ruby walked over to the heroes, following them and Oobleck as they filed out of the hospital room. As she passed by Midoriya’s mentor, however...

“You have silver eyes.” Ruby froze upon hearing those words. He turned, facing Gran Torino. He was staring at her.

“Wha…?” Ruby stared at the old man as he walked past her. Her eyes? What did her eyes…? “Wait, what do you—?”

“Rose!” Ruby jumped once more when Oobleck called out her name.

“Uh, coming…!” Trying to forget about that little comment just nwo, Ruby followed after Oobleck as he separated for the rest of the visitors. The two came to a stop shortly outside of the room. An awkward silence fell. Ruby swallowed something in her throat that was never even here to begin with. In the end, she bowed again, her hands clasped tightly together.

“I really am sorry for running off,” she said, not sure what else to say at that moment. Much to her surprise, Dr. Oobleck simply put a hand on her head, messing with her hair.

“While it wasn’t the most responsible thing to do, I do understand your motivation for doing so,” said Oobleck. Ruby blinked, her eyes widening briefly. “Meddling where you don’t have to is the mark of a true hero. Not listening showed how much you care for your friends.”

“So…” Ruby slowly stood up. “I’m not in trouble?”

“Oh, no. You are.” And that little bit of hope deflated. “You are an unlicensed hero. It’s as Tsuragamae said. By getting caught up in that fight, you did break the law.”

“But it was self-defense! Just like—!” She cut herself off there. Just like it had been back in the beginning of the year… when Ruby nearly got in trouble with the police the first time. The hero was staring at her, a brow raised.

“Like what?” Okay… she had to say something…! What else…? Oh, right…! There was also  _ that _ incident, too...!

“L-Like the USJ.”

He seemed to buy that. “I want you to think about that fight you were in last night. While your lives were in danger, could it be considered self-defense?” Ruby bit down on her lip. Self-defense could only be called that if they were defending themselves from being harmed. And while that is what ended up happening… The students hadn’t been attacked by the Hero Killer first. As far as she knew, Iida attacked the Hero Killer first, causing the situation in the first place. It…

“It wasn’t…” Ruby sighed, staring at the slick tile beneath her feet. “...I just wanted to protect them.”

“Young Rose, I commend you for what you did,” Oobleck placed his hand on her shoulder, and Ruby looked back up. “It’s truly amazing that children your age were able to bring down someone not even the top heroes could find. But you must remember that you’re still just that. Children. You’re still learning. You were right in going after who you did, but from this point on, you must be careful in all future fights you find yourself in until you earn our license. Is this the right moment to act? Or should I still wait?”

Ruby thought back to the few days that she spent with the Doctor. “Like what you told me the other night. We have to wait and then strike when they don’t expect it… Or in last night’s case, probably tell a Pro Hero.”

Oobleck nodded. “Exactly. Keep that in mind, Rose, until you are ready to act yourself.” There was a beat. One question still hung in the air.

“You're going to tell my dad about this, aren't you?” Ruby asked. “Not about what actually happened last night, but uh… the me-being-in-the-hospital thing.”

“He is your emergency contact. I assume he already knows.” Ruby bit back a groan at the Doctors reply. “You're in for quite the earful when you get home.” Well… that was great. These internships turned out to cause a lot more harm then they did good...

Ruby glanced back down at the floor. “I’m sorry for getting you in trouble.”

“Don’t you worry about it. Just focus on healing for now. Alright?” Oobleck told her. Ruby nodded, feeling her bandaged palms press together behind her back. “Perhaps next time, you’ll be able to complete your internship.” Ruby blinked.

“Wait, you…” she stared up at him, “don’t mind if I come back?”

“It’s rare to meet someone who can keep up with me.” Oobleck smiled. “I look forward to working with you again, Miss Rose, if given the chance.” Ruby felt herself smile as well as the Doctor walked away.

* * *

Ruby slipped back into the hospital room she shared with the boys as quiet as she possibly could. When she entered, she found that Midoriya wasn’t there, with both Iida and Todoroki had returned to their respective beds. They still hadn’t noticed her return as she quietly shut the door behind her.

“Hey… are you guys okay?” she said, finally making her presence known. There was a beat. “I mean… we’re obviously not physically okay, but uh… you know what I mean.”

Todoroki nodded. “We’re waiting on Iida’s test results,” he explained.

Iida didn’t meet Ruby’s gaze at all. “...I'm trying to think of how I’m going to explain to my brother that I tried to commit first degree murder in his name.”

“Can you even do that?” Iida only shrugged.

“I’m not sure, but I feel like I owe it to tell him the truth… when he gets out of the hospital, at least. Telling him this now wouldn’t be the wisest choice. Not while he’s still recovering…” That sounded like a fairly good idea. Speaking of the truth… Ruby thought back to what had happened that night in the alley

“Iida?” she said, getting a hum from her fellow speedster. “Are you sure that you’re okay?”

“Better than I was yesterday, that much is certain,” he replied. Ruby made her way back over to her bed and plopped down upon it. After a second, she held out her arms to Iida, much to his confusion.

“I wanted to do this last night, but I really couldn’t since I uh… but… permission to hug you?” Iida simply stared at her. Trying to keep herself from going red with embarrassment, Ruby pulled back her arms. “Unless you don’t want to be touched or if it hurts too much right now… I get it. And that’s okay, too!” She let her hands fall into her lap. “I’m just glad that you’re talking to us.”

“That’s…” Iida sighed, “probably what I should’ve done from the beginning.” There was a beat. Todoroki glanced over at Iida, leaning forward.

“So… Ingenium?” he asked. Oh… right. That's what Iida was calling himself last night. Ruby thought that he, much like Todoroki, went with his given name for a hero name. Iida sighed.

“My brother wanted me to use it…” he told them.

“So, why didn’t you use it when we were coming up with our hero names last week?” Ruby asked.

“I couldn’t bring myself to write it down. In hindsight…” Iida glanced down at his injuries. “I don’t think I deserve to use the name at all. It’s like Todoroki said, Ingenium would never do what I tried to. But if I don’t…” he clenched his fist as much as he could, wincing as he did so, “the name will die. Ingenium will die. I’ll just… try my best to be the kind of hero that he wanted me to be. That I want to be.”

The kind of hero he wanted to be...

“If it helps, I think you can change it. I’m not sure, but…” Ruby lifted her legs, bringing them onto her bed and crossing them. “Mr. Aizawa and Ms. Midnight never said that you couldn’t. They only said that it  _ might _ be permanent, nothing about it actually being permanent.” Iida only nodded at that.

“Maybe you could change your name, too,” suggested Todoroki. “It’s a bit childish, isn’t it?”

“No, I like my name,” Ruby huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “And besides, you went with just your given name.” At least she had been a little more creative when it came to her name.”

“I have my reasons.”

“And I have mine. You didn’t say anything about anyone else’s hero name.”

Todoroki simply shrugged. “It wasn’t my place to do so.”

“Wait, why are you ragging on mine now?!” Todoroki shrugged again.

“My apologies, I’m still trying to wrap my head around why you chose that.” Ruby simply stared at him.

“You sit right next to Yaoyorozu. Didn’t you hear me explain it to her?” Todoroki shook his head. “Well, it’s uh…” At the time, Ruby hadn’t been able to explain the full reason. The name Little Red had come from Roman Torchwick. He had called her that since their very first encounter, and most likely continued to use it out of sight and in front of other villains. That’s what made Ruby choose it. Other villains would know the name. They would know her as the one who was targeted by a crime boss, and came out victorious in the end. But…

Ruby glanced over at Iida before staring at the floor. Only he, Midoriya and Ochako knew about Ruby’s connection to Torchwick. Ruby had told him as much herself. Todoroki… Todoroki, much like the rest of their class had no clue about it. How exactly was she going to be able to give a satisfying explanation when she couldn’t tell the full story?

“...I promise.” Ruby snapped out of her thoughts at Iida’s unknown saving grace. She looked over at him.

“Promise what?” she asked.

“What you said last night.” Ruby’s confused expression softened as Iida went on. “About friends not letting friends do things alone? I promise that I won’t let you face anything alone… and I promise not to do anything alone again, either. After all, we’re… how did you put it? Speed buddies?” They were speed… Ruby widely grinned. She nodded. Back during the mock battles they had in the beginning of the school year, Ruby called herself and Iida in an attempt to make friends. A the time, she thought it was stupid and was going nowhere. But now...

“Speed buddies?” Todoroki repeated. Ruby, remembering only now that he was in the room, found herself at a loss for words. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s uh…” Iida and Ruby exchanged a look. “During one of our training sessions earlier in the year, Rose—”

“Tenya Iida?” Iida — somewhat thankfully — was cut off when the room’s door opened. A nurse stdo there, a chart in hand. She had Iida’s test results with her.

Heavy silence fell in the room as she spoke, and it remained as she left. There was tension in the air, as if the nurse’s report had sucked out all the subtle peace that had been created. Iida stared down at his left arm. Ruby felt a lump start to form in her throat. She knew that Iida probably messed up his arms during that fight, but...

“I’m so sorry—” Ruby was cut off when the room’s door opened. Midoriya had returned, shuffling in on a crutch. Oh, he could not have come back at a worst possible time.

“Oh, hey, Iida,” said the green-haired boy, not really reading the room all that well. “I just talked to Uraraka.”

“Um…” Ruby bit down on her lip. “Midoriya…”

“Midoriya,” cut in Todoroki, said what Ruby couldn’t. “Iida just got his test results back.” A moment of silence rested heavy in the air. The message was clear. What the kids had been told wasn’t anything good. 

“My left hand…” Iida hesitated for a moment, “might have damage that's permanent.”

“What? Permanent?” Midoriya’s face fell as he repeated that dreadful word.

“Both my arms were pretty torn up. But the injury to my left arm was especially severe. There was damage to my brachial plexus. Which just means… I’ll have trouble moving my fingers. And my hand might have some numbness. Apparently there’s a chance it could be healed with nerve transplant surgery.” Iida sounded so hopeful, but…. He looked down at his arm. “When I came across the Hero Killer, I stopped thinking rationally. The first thing I should’ve done was call Manual. But I got lost in my own anger. I hate him so much, but I can’t deny he spoke the truth. That’s why, until I’m able to call myself a real hero, I’ll leave my left hand as it is.”

He was going to… what?

“Are you sure?” Todoroki asked. He was going to leave it as it was. But why…?

“It’s like a scar, isn’t it?” said Ruby, taking a stab in the dark. Iida slowly nodded.

“Something like that,” he replied. “I don’t want to forget what happened that night.” Ruby didn’t think any one of them could forget, even if they tried. Midoriya went to say something, but shut his mouth. He looked down at his crooked right had instead.

“Iida, I feel the same way,” said Midoriya, clenching his hand as Iida looked up at him. “Let’s get stronger. Together.” The two exchanged a nod, and Ruby could feel the tension in the air start to ease. Maybe things would be better after all, despite all the scars left behind from that night.

Todoroki stared at his classmates for a moment before looking away.

“I feel kind of bad,” he said and the three turn their attention to him.

“About what?” Todoroki was staring at his own hand.

“Whenever I’m involved, someone’s hand gets all messed up. Is something wrong with me?” There was a beat. “Am I cursed?” Although he was trying to be serious about it, Todoroki only succeeded in getting Midoriya, Iida and Ruby to laugh. 

“Todoroki, I didn’t know you had a sense of humor!” said Midoriya in-between giggles. Todoroki didn’t quite seem to get it.

“This isn’t a joke. I’m like the Hand Crusher or something.” The rest of the group burst out in full-blown fits of laughter.

“The Hand Crusher!” they repeated in-between their howls. It took a few minutes for Todoroki to awkwardly join in. Ruby had never heard him laugh before, as quiet as his was compared to theirs. It was… nice.

Yeah… Ruby was pretty sure that they would be fine.

* * *

It took one more day for Ruby to be discharged from the hospital. Because of her injuries, she would have to remain at home for the rest of the week, and her internship cut short. It was fine, though. She tried to make it feel like a mini-vacation before jumping back into school at the end of the week.

She sat in her room, having replaced the bandage on her arm where the Hero Killer had cut her during her failed slipstream. Zwei batted around the dressings — both old and new before Ruby managed to snatch them away. It was only him with her that day. Dad and Uncle Qrow were out working, and Yang wouldn’t be home until—

Ruby perked up when she heard the front door open.

“I am here!” called out a very familiar voice trying to do her best All Might impression. “Fresh off the train from Osaka!”

“Yang!” Ruby cried out happily. She bolted off of her bed, leaving behind a minor trail of rose petals as she ran down the stairs. There at the front door stood Yang. Ruby let out a giggle as she rushed to meet her sister, barrelling into her and almost knocking her off her feet. It may have been just a few days, but Ruby always got overly happy whenever Yang returned home from her weekly work study. As she buried her face into her sister’s shirt, she could smell the takoyaki that was stubbornly clinging to it. Ruby looked up at her. 

“You bring home the goods?” she asked.

“I brought home the goods!” Yang replied, holding up a plastic bag in her hand. Ruby finally pulled away with a giggle. Yang almost always brought home some kind of treat for the family when she got back from her work study. The girl the blonde was wearing when she walked in the door faded away when she caught sight of her sister. “Whoa. Dad said you got caught up in that mess in Hosu, but I didn’t think it was this bad. What did that asshole do to you?”

“Um…” Ruby traced her hand along the bandages as Yang dropped the duffel bag she had on the couch. She trailed after the elder into the kitchen, pointing to each of her wounds in turn. “Threw a knife at me, cut my arm and temporarily paralyzed me.”

“What about this?” Yang turned behind her, taking Ruby’s hand and examining her palms. She no longer had to wear the bandages there, but the injuries still remained. The skin on the palms of Ruby’s hands were all scraped up.

“I was landing when he used his Quirk on me. So my hands ended up sliding against the asphalt. It could’ve been worse. You should see Iida.” Ruby was pretty sure that he got a scar out of the whole situation. “Dad wants me to see Recovery Girl first thing when we get back to school, but I’m just gonna ask Jaune to help heal me up a bit.”

“You’re lucky that Endeavor was there. I don’t wanna think about what would have happened to you guys if he hadn’t shown up.”

“Yeah…” Ruby nervously chuckled, “real lucky…” To her, she was about as lucky as Uncle Qrow that Endeavor had shown up. He didn’t even  _ do _ anything but provoke Stain.

“So… besides running into the Hero Killer…” Yang withdrew four boxes from her bag. The smell coming from them almost made Ruby drool, and succeeded in getting her stomach to growl. “How was your internship?”

“Pretty good. I learned a lot from the Doctor.” Ruby hopped up on the countertop, swinging her legs. “I think I might be able to pull off a cool move now too, thanks to his help.” Well, she needed to actively  _ try _ his advice first. There wasn’t much opportunity to do it during the fight with the Hero Killer.

“Hey,” said Yang with a short laugh, “that’s awesome!”

“You and Blake were right. He was a good choice to go with.” Ruby reached over for one of the boxes Yang had returned with, only to get her hand smacked away from them. She sighed as Yang went to put the remaining two in the refrigerator.

“Did Oobleck ask you why you wanted to be a hero?” the elder sister asked.

“Uh… no, actually. Not really.” Now that Ruby thought about it... “He asked you and Blake that, didn’t he?” Yang nodded.

“Yeah… made me think about a lot of things.” Ruby thought back to the conversation that she had with Oobleck only a few days ago. He had brought Yang and Blake’s internship to her, but didn’t say much about it. But now...

Ruby slid off of the countertop. “...Yang, can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Did something happen to you and Blake while you were doing your internships?” Yang stopped in the middle of the kitchen, hand tight on the refrigerator door. “...Yang?”

Yang sharply inhaled. “Did he tell you what happened?”

Ruby shook her head. “No. All I know is that something did happen. He said that it wasn’t his story to tell. But Blake was acting weird when we were talking about him the other day so I just kinda thought…” She trailed off, the rest of her words left unsaid, but understood. Yang sighed, leaning back against the countertop as she shut the fridge with her foot.

“Blake and I were out on patrol when we got separated from Oobleck. We were walking around the city trying to find him when Blake realized that this guy had been following us. We tried to lose him, but it was like he was some sort of gum stuck to our shoes,” Yang explained, her usually upbeat manner taking a turn for the serious. “He ended up cornering us in an alley and tried to get Blake to come with him. I think... I think that's the most scared I've ever seen Blake. Because she wouldn't go with him, he tried to hurt her. So we fought against him… if you could call it a fight. We almost lost, and if Oobleck didn't show up, we wouldn't be here. If you want to know more, you’re gonna have to ask Blake about it.”

Someone… tried to hurt them? Tried to hurt Blake?

“...was it that bad?” Ruby asked once she was sure that her sister’s story was done.

“t depends on who you ask. But… It's personal for Blake. I don’t feel right saying anything else about it. Just wish I got the chance to punch that guy in the face.” Yang sighed as she turned, grabbing the boxes of savory sweets for her both sisters. She put on her usually grin once again. 

“So, come on,” said Yang, nudging Ruby with her elbow. “I wanna know more about what happened to you this week. And don’t spare me any details, I want to hear  _ everything _ .”

Ruby smiled a little as she followed Yang back out into the living room. She was going to have to omit some details to keep things covered up, but other than that, she was more than happy to tell Yang everything.

* * *

Unlike the outside world right now, his home was a place of peace. It was clean and smelled vaguely of hot chocolate and pine trees. There was even a small garden in the backyard that was being tended to by two out of three of the household’s members. He could see them out of the corner of his eye from his place in the living room. However, he was stuck in here, with a stack of papers to grade. His only company was a mug, his silent phone and the news report that is playing on the TV.

“ _ Now, our continuing coverage. _ ” he glanced up at the TV’s screen as the program returned. _ “Three villains were captured in the Hosu riots. Their identities and motives are yet unknown. Based on their distinctive appearance, however, and the presence of two people our reporters filmed nearby, many are speculating they’re connected to the League of Villains that attacked U.A. High last month. _ ”

“ _ The Hero Killer Stain claimed many lives, _ ” added the reporter’s co-anchor. “ _ In fact, he has more victims than any other criminal since All Might burst into the scene. With his arrest, everyone in the country can rest a little easier tonight. _ ” Ozpin let out a sigh. He snatched up the remote and muted the TV, cutting the news report short. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes.

Like many heroes, he had to agree that the capture of the Hero Killer was a positive. But the fact that he had a probable connection to the League of Villains… that, combined with what he had learned just yesterday left him unsettled.

“Hey, Dad! We’re heading out!”

Ozpin looked up with a hum. The two that were once outside had now retreated in. His son was near the door, switching out dirt-covered work boots for his sneakers. His sister was not too far behind him, leaning over the arm of the couch.

“We’re missing a couple of things Oscar says we need for the garden out back,” she told her father. “So, I’m taking him to go grab them. We'll be back in around… twenty minutes? Thirty at the latest.”

“Alright. Amber, be careful,” said Ozpin, tacking on his usual reminder for her whenever she or her brother left the house. Amber nodded, snatching up the keys from a dish near the door. “And keep an eye on your brother!”

“I will!” The door shut, leaving the house in silence once again. Ozpin sighed and looked down at the papers he still needed to grade. He bit back a groan. He really did not want to do this, but as a teacher, it was part of his job. Hopefully his students came up with some clever things to say…

Ozpin sat at the table, reading over a few of the essays that sat in front of him. He found himself chuckling a bit at Jaune Arc’s report on the roles of vigilantes in hero society. He should be a bit more careful when choosing topics like this, as Opzin found more than one detail that seemed a bit too personal for a simple research paper. But still. It was truly entertaining.

He snapped out of his reading when his phone buzzed. Was it Amber, saying that she and her brother would be out longer than they thought? Or id something else happen to them while they were out

**Toshinori** : There’s more. 

Oh. It wasn't his children. ...and recalling his last conversation with toshinori, seeing that message didn’t settle well in Ozpin's stomach at all.

**Oz** : Is he really behind it? The Nomu?

**Toshinori** : After what happened last night…

Ozpin glanced up at the TV screen. The report was still going, displaying an image of Hosu for him to see.

**Oz** : Hosu City and the Hero Killer. I saw the news reports.

**Toshinori** : I got a call from Gran Torino.

**Toshinori** : The Hero Killer’s connected with the League of Villains.

**Toshinori** : And his ideology is infectious, inspiring a new generation of villains.

**Oz** : Villains inspired by Stain will unite under one banner, like they did before.

**Toshinori** : Whoever’s behind the League, according to him, knew this would happen.

**Oz** : He’s trying to repeat his earlier actions.

**Oz** : Toshi, what are you going to do?

**Toshinori:** I’m telling Young Midoriya everything.

**Toshinori** : I don’t have a choice anymore.

Ozpin sighed as he read that. He leaned forward, bracing elbows on his knees and burying fingers into his hair. The silent news reports were still playing. He stared at his phone’s screen, unsure of how exactly to reply. In the end he dropped it back on the table. Ozpin leaned back, rubbing his temples. He could feel something twist in his stomach.

What little peace they had was growing surely unsteady.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I legit can't see Ozpin as anything more than a dad, I'm sorry--
> 
> Also? The scene I talked about before? Iida making the promise. I love the friendship that I've built between him and Ruby. I love it.  
> Speaking of Iida, I'm pretty sure that he did get a scar from being stabbed by Stain. It's on his upper left arm, right where his shoulder and bicep meet. It's not apparent in the manga, so it makes me wonder if it's an anime only thing.
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Twenty-One: Connections
> 
> “Glad you guys made it back alive. Seriously.”  
> “I worried about you, too.”
> 
> “Let us work much harder! If all of us become Pros, then villains won’t stand a chance! Class 1-A will ensure that there is peace!”
> 
> “Find me after class. We need to talk.”
> 
> “Toshinori, just what exactly are you telling that boy?”
> 
> "...what does he have to do with Rose’s mom?"


	21. Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the kids of 1-A return to classes following their internships, the world around them slowly begins to change. It's time for Izuku Midoriya to learn about the few, simple degrees that connects him deeper into this whole plot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! Last chapter of the Hero Killer arc!
> 
> I know a couple of people are hype for the lore I'm about to drop here. Question is, are you all prepared for it? Hehe... Things are starting to build up on that factor, so I hope you all enjoy! Not much to say here really, except Mineta's behavior and an appropriate course of action taken after. Jirou stabbing him in the eye is the only reason that scene stayed in, honestly...
> 
> Anyway, let's go!

The next few days flew by quickly for those whose internships had been cut short. They returned to school that Monday to classmates buzzing and fresh after all they had experienced. Ruby sincerely hoped that things had gone better for them than they did for her, Iida, Midoriya and Todoroki.

Well… she got her answer first thing. As she walked into the room, Sero and Kirishima were dying of laughter, and it didn’t take long for Ruby to see why. Katsuki Bakugo, whose ash blonde hair was normally a spiky bedhead, was tamed, combed and parted. Apparently it had been a result of his internships, and he couldn’t get it back the right way. Kirishima and Sero saw that problem fixed as they teased and laughed, causing Bakugo’s hair to explode and return to its normal state.

Ruby stepped around the scuffle that erupted between the three of them, making her way past the girl and towards the back of the room.

“Awesome! You got to face actual villains?” gushed Mina to Jirou. “I’m super jealous!”

“Well, I didn’t fight,” Jirou replied, twirling one of her earphone jacks around her finger. “All I did was help people evacuate and provide logistical support.”

“But it still sounds like so much fun!”

“I spent basically the whole time training and cleaning the ship deck,” added Tsuyu. “Though, there was this one day we caught a bunch of drug smugglers.” Mina and Jirou stared at her with a bit of shock. Well… at least Ruby and the boys weren’t the only ones who had a run-in with a villain during internships… The girls turned to Ochako. “What about you, Ochako?” As Ruby passed by her, she could feel a strange aura coming off of her floaty friend.

“I’d say that it was very enlightening,” said Ochako, oddly calm as she began fisting the air in front of her.

“I think she found her fighting spirit.”

“Yeah, that battle hero must’ve been something else,” said Jirou.

“After one week, she’s like a totally different person…” mused Kaminari out loud. And Ruby had to agree a little. It was like someone lit a fire in Ochako that wasn’t there before.

“Different? Don’t be fooled, Kaminari,” said Mineta before going pale, biting his fingernails. “All women are demons at heart. They just hide their true personalities behind pretty faces.” Ruby raised a brow as he passed him by, going towards her seat in the back. Iida, Todoroki and Midoriya were already there, huddled around Todoroki’s desk.

“What the heck did Mt. Lady do to you?” Nothing that he probably didn’t deserve, Ruby thought to herself. Kaminari placed a hand on the grape’s shoulder, snapping him out of it. “Everyone at my internship loved me — it was actually kinda great. Now, if you wanna talk about the ones who really changed, it was those four.”

Ruby raised a brow as she finally reached her seat. Iida, Todoroki and Midoriya were waiting there, and were standing around Todoroki’s desk. From the looks of things, most of their injuries had healed up already by this point. And now most of their classmates were staring at them. Ruby could probably figure out why.

Sero was being held by his jacket by a still angry Bakugo as he turned to the group in the back of the room. “Oh yeah! The Hero Killer!”

“Glad you guys made it back alive,” said Kirishima, stuck in the same situation as Sero, although he wasn’t struggling as much. “Seriously.”

“I worried about you, too,” added Yaoyorozu.

“You’re lucky Endeavor showed up and saved you guys,” chimed in Sato. Ruby tightened her grip on the strap of her bag. She slid it off as she finally took her seat.

“So cool,” commented Hagakure. Most of the class was crowding around their desks now. Ruby had expected this but. so early in the morning…? And Endeavor... “Just what I'd expect from the number two hero!” Ruby glanced over at Todoroki. The half-and-half boy looked down at his desk’s surface, expression unreadable.

“Yeah, that’s right,” he said at last. “He saved us.” Ruby bit back her little sigh. As strongly as she felt about the cover-up story, she had to agree that it was the best to stick with it. She could just simmer in silence over it.

“Did you guys hear the news about the Hero Killer?” Ojiro asked the four of them. Ruby exchanged looks with the boy before shrugging. “Everyone’s been saying that he was somehow connected to the League of Villains. Can you imagine how frightening it would’ve been if that creep had been there when they attacked the USJ?”

Ruby bit down on her lip. She really didn’t want to imagine that. That battle was hard enough as it already was. If the Hero Killer was there, Thirteen and Mr. Aizawa probably wouldn’t have made it out alive… neither would have most of the students if what happened in that facility said anything.

“He’s scary, yeah. But did you see him in that weird video?” asked Kaminari. Ruby blinked. Video? “It’s all over the internet. “

“I didn’t even now there was a video of him,” said Ojiro, voicing Ruby’s thoughts out loud.

“Yeah. Stain’s a pretty evil villain, but, like, super tenacious. He’s almost kinda cool, dontcha guys think?” 

Ruby and Midoriya’s eyes widened. “Kaminari!” they both said in harsh whispers.

“Uh— Oh!” Kaminari covered his mouth with his hand when his eyes fell upon Iida. “Dude, I—!”

“No, it’s okay. You’re fine,” Iida told him as he looked down at his left arm. “It is true that he’s quite a tenacious villain. I understand why people might think he was cool. But instead of helping the world, his ideals led him to cold-blooded murder. No matter his motives, killing cannot be condoned.” And that was the truth. The class fell quiet. Ruby simply stared at Iida. “To keep anyone else from suffering like me, well, I promise.” Class 1-A’s representative then grinned, raising a hand. “I will strive to be the perfect hero.”

“Yeah,” Midoriya nodded. “Let’s do it!”

“It’s time for class to begin! Everyone, please take your seats,” Iida slipped back into his normal over-the-top hand gestures, although a bit more subdued that they were usually because of his current injuries. “Let us work much harder! If all of us become Pros, then villains won’t stand a chance! Class 1-A will ensure that there is peace!”

Ruby couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face. Despite how much he had changed, there’s still a bit of the old Iida in there. She was happy to see that he was feeling better than he was last time they were in class together. With his mind at peace now, he could finally start to heal from his emotional pain.

* * *

The rest of the morning went by with relative ease compared to how last week had been. Then, the afternoon hit and it was time to put all the training Class 1-A received during their internships to the test. They changed into their hero costumes and walked out to the training grounds to meet with All Might. With her injuries healed, Ruby was ready to stretch her legs again.

“Hope you’re ready to return to our lessons. Today it’s Hero Basic Training. Feels like I haven’t seen you in a while. Welcome back,” said All Might as his students met him at the gate. Just hearing that got Ruby hyped up for class today. “Now then. Listen carefully for what’s in store. We’re going to be conducting a little race. Take everything you’ve learned from your internships and apply it to this rescue training.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby saw Iida raised a bandage arm. He was the only one not in hero costume, most likely since it was still getting repaired from the Hero Killer fight, or he couldn’t wear it due to his injuries. She would have to ask later.

“If it’s rescue training, then shouldn’t we be at the USJ instead?” Iida asked.

“Ah, that facility specializes in disasters. As I said earlier, this is a race. So prepare. You’re about to step into Field Gamma!” All Might explained. “Inside, is an area full of factories that form an intricate labyrinth, so good luck finding your way around. You’ll be competing in three groups of five and one group of six. Each person starts from a different location on the outskirts of the model city. I’ll send a distress signal, and you do what you must to rescue me. Whoever finds me first wins! But try to keep the property damage to a bare minimum, please.” 

As he said that, he slowly pointed over to Bakugo. Ruby bit back a snicker.

“Why’re you pointing at me?” Bakugo asked, his voice bordering on a bark. Thinking back to one particular training exercise earlier in the year, Ruby could figure out he had been singled out.

The students were split into their groups, with Ruby being in the first one along with Midoriya, Sero, Ojiro, Iida and Mina. The rest of the class headed into the training field with All Might to wait at the finish line.

The kids took their places. Ruby stood at her starting position, doing her best to stretch out her legs. Her mind travelled back to the brief time with the Doctor. She hadn’t exactly had a chance to try out what Oobleck told her to do aside from once during the Hero Killer fight. And it worked a little, helping her get to Todoroki in record time. Okay. Ruby shook her head, bracing herself for a run. She got this.

“Begin!” echoed her teacher’s voice from the center point. An air horn sounded and the kids ran, rushing towards the source.

_ Use my surroundings to my advantage!  _ Ruby grinned as she took off, using the area around her ear to get a bit further ahead. She zoomed towards the center point, with her classmates in the corner of her sight: Sero swinging on his tape, Mina sliding on a pipe with her acid. Ruby needs to get up higher to see the rest.

With a small groot, she pushed up and grabbed a hold of a pipe. She swung herself up onto it. As soon as she found table footing, a blur of green rushed by and zoomed past the others into first place. Ruby recognized that blur.

“Midoriya!” she shouted. She pushed off the pipe, letting the power of her Quirk course though her body. Ruby zoomed around the best that she could, swinging off of posts and pushing off walls to help her get a little further ahead. It felt like she was free falling. And it was  _ exhilarating _ . 

Ruby grinned, smiling almost maniacally. She let a laugh bubble up and out of her mouth as she moved around with absolute free down. Everyone but her and Iida seemed to stop, stunned by the green haired boy ahead of her. Good. WIthout them following, all Ruby had to do is keep up with him, and she might just be able to surpass him! She could win—!

Or at least she could have if Midoriya hadn’t slipped on a pipe as soon as she got close enough. He let out a yelp as he came crashing down right on top of her. It was that fall that allowed the others in the group to catch up. In the end, it was neither Ruby or Midoriya who won, but Sero.

Ruby and Midoriya were covered in dust and dirt by the time they made it to the platform where the rest of the class was waiting. They were last.

“Young Sero may have come in first, but compared to the start of the year, you all showed some incredible improvements,” All Might told the kids once they had finally made it up to the platform. “Keep working and preparing for your upcoming final exams!”

“Sir!” Wait, final exams? ...oh right, those were next month, weren’t they…?

“Group One, leave the field. You’re up Group Two!” Ruby let out a sigh. It could’ve gone better, but it wasn’t bad either. A decent first day back, especially after all that had happened a few days ago.

“Rose” Midoriya asked, tung towards her, “are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she told him, brushing off a bit of the remaining dirt on her skirt. She might've had a small bruise or two, but— “It’s gonna take a lot more than that to do any real damage.” Midoriya, relieved, gave her a nod. As she started to back towards the rest of the class, All Might walked up to Midoriya.

“You surprised me. That was incredible,” said the number one hero, his voice low enough that he thought no one else could hear. “Find me after class. We need to talk.”

“Um…” Midoriya nodded, “yes, sir.” Ruby didn’t catch the rest of the conversation as she moved over to where the rest of the class was waiting for the next race to begin. She wondered what All Might wanted with Midoriya. Part of her hoped that he wasn’t in trouble at all.

Ruby didn’t think much about it as training winded down for the day. She fidgeted with the silver roses pinning her cloak in place, doing her best to get them off as the rest of the girls gathered together in the locker room.

“Seems like you guys learned a lot from your internships,” she said, voicing her thoughts out loud as she finally got the pins undone. “Everyone is so cool out there!”

“I wish I could’ve done more,” said Yaoyorozu, pulling the elastic out of her hair. “We rarely did any hero work at all.”

“Did more than I did, anyway.” She had only been an intern for three days… everyone else got the full seven day experience. But... “I did learn something, though.”

“Yeah, it seems like you and Deku were moving crazy fast out there!” Ochako told her.

“Made Bakugo mad, though,” added Mina. “Midoriya was moving a lot like him during the race.”

“I’m surprised Bakugo didn’t get mad at you,” Tsuyu said, pulling her shirt over her head as she turned to Ruby. “You were moving a lot like he does, too.”

Ruby blinked. “I was?” Tsuyu nodded.

_ Wait,  _ do _ I move like Bakugo…?  _ She would have to ask, but she never really thought about that before. And Bakugo seems pretty mad after the race ended… She glanced over at the wall that divided the boys' locker room from the girls’. Hopefully he didn’t pick up on Ruby’s movement at all. 

Any remaining thoughts were driven out of Ruby’s head when something caught her eye.

“Hey, how long has that hole in the wall been there?” she asked.

“Hole in the wall?” Jirou repeated. Ruby nodded and gestured over to it. The girls stared at the hle.

“I dunno,” said Hagakure, and Ruby could picture her possibly shrugging in her mind.

“Hey, you don’t think…?” mused Mina out loud, a bit concerned about the hole. It was just a hole. Ruby didn’t see the problem—

“What,” Ochako said, pulling on her shirt and keeping her back to the wall, “it’s a peep hole?” ...oh. Right. The boys’ locker room was on the other side.

“It depends on how deep it goes. But I wouldn’t put it past certain boys to do something like this,” said Yaoyorozu. The hole in the wall picked up on the boy’s voices from next door, allowing them to pass right on through.

“Don’t even think about it! Peeping on them like that would be criminal!” Ruby blinked. Iida?

Jirou gestured for the other girls to be quiet. She crept over to the wall where the hole was and jammed one of her earphone jacks inside to listen in on the boys’ conversation. In hindsight, she really didn't need to. The girls could hear the next bit loud and clear. 

“Then you’ll have to throw me in solitary confinement, ‘cuz you can’t stop me!” Oh, there was the grape. I wanna see Yaoyorozu’s curves. Ashido’s slender waist. Hagakure’s floating underwear. Uraraka’s super-fine body. Asui’s unexpectedly soft boobies! Rose’s sculpted calves and thighs!”

Ruby went bright red. She dropped to her knees, wrapping herself up tightly in her cloak. That seemed to be the last straw. Jirou shoves her earphone jack through the hole and stabs whoever's eye is on the end of the peephole. Mineta’s scream came through the other end.

Hagakure groaned. “Thanks, Kyoka.”

“Despicable,” said Yaoyorozu with disdain, pulling her costume over her chest. “We’ll close up this hole immediately.”

Ruby pulled her hood over her head. Why did boys like that have to exist…?!

* * *

Izuku Midoriya finally found a moment to slip away from everyone else as his final class of the day came to an end. What his mentor had said at then end of the rescue race still lingered in his mind. There was something he wanted to talk about. Something that involved the Quirk that Izuku had been entrusted with — One for All. That alone meant that it was pretty important.

His mind wandered about exactly what this was all about. Did he do something wrong? Or had he done something right, and was ready to go a step further in training to control his Quirk? Having created Full Cowling with Gran Torino's help had been a huge step. Izuku could finally use his power without risking hurting himself.

Izuku felt a lump form in his throat when he finally got to the teacher’s lounge door. All the questions in his mind that we were making butterflies ping-pong around in his stomach were about to be answered. Drawing in a breath, he knocked on the door.

“It’s me, All Might,” called Izuku. When there was no reply, he opened the door, wondering if All Might just hadn’t gotten there yet. He found himself wrong. His teacher was sitting there, not meeting Izuku’s gaze when he entered.

“Come have a seat,” was all he told his student in that moment.

_ He seems… different.  _ Izuku swallowed something down as he made his way to the stool opposite his teacher.

“You went through a lot recently,” said All Might. “I’m sorry I wasn’t around to help you out.”

Izuku sat down. “Oh, no. You don’t need to apologize for that. More importantly… Um, you mentioned One for All earlier?”

“I heard that the Hero Killer swallowed your blood in the attack.”

“Oh. Yeah. His Quirk made him able to paralyze someone after tasting their blood.” It was pretty terrifying, being frozen in place like that… Izuku was relieved that both Rose and Todoroki were nearby, giving him enough time to recover from the Hero Killer’s Quirk along with their support. “Is that what this is about?

“Do you remember how I gave my power to you? What I said that day?” What he said to him…? Well, All Might had said a lot of things, but for some reason the one thing that stood out the most in Izuku’s mind at the moment was...

Izuku pulled a face and tried to do his best All Might impression. “Eat this!”

“No, not that part.” That’s what Izuku remembered the most. It was hard to forget being told to swallow your idol’s hair in order to have their power pass down to you… he could still remember wholeheartedly doing it in the end, too. “I said the key was in my DNA. That’s why you had to swallow the hair.”

Right… the key to passing One For All from person to person was DNA, like blood or hair… Panic hit Izuku as he shot up out of his seat.

“Oh, holy crap! Don’t tell me the Hero Killer has One for All now!” He didn’t even want to think about the consequences of that, but oh gosh, if he did then he could probably break out of prison. He would be way stronger than before, too! He possibly just created a threat worse than—!

“No, he doesn’t.” Izuku let out a little sigh, dropping back down. well, that was a weight off of his shoulders... “I just thought you might be worried about that, but… I see it didn’t cross your mind. One for All can only be given to another person if you, the bearer, intend to pass it along. It’s not something that can just be taken by force. Although it can be transferred by force. Kind of like… a girl trying to give you chocolate on Valentine’s Day, even though you don’t want it.”

Izuku stared at his mentor. “What kind of example is that?!”

“Toshinori, just what exactly are you telling that boy?” The door softly opened. A tall man with silver hair and a cane behind his back stood in the entryway. Izuku stared at him.

“I was just trying to make it easier to understand,” said All Might as the man entered the room. “Sorry for the bad example.” Izuku still continued to stare at the newcomer, a brow raised.

“You're Mr. Ozpin, right…? You teach the third year hero course,” he said out loud. The man nodded as he closed the door. Wait… this shouldn’t have come as a second thought, but—! “Wait, All Might, is it okay for him to be here?!”

“If you’re referring to your mentor’s secret,” Ozpin said as he crossed over to where they were, “then I already know.” He… huh?

“We graduated from the same class,” All Might explained before his pupil could ask about it. “He knows about One for All and about you, too.”

“About… me? Is that what this is about? I know you said it was about One for All, but…” Izuku let out a sigh. “Honestly, though, for a second, I thought it was because I fell on Rose during training…”

“No, it’s not. That was an accident. I know Ruby is a lot tougher than she looks, anyway. Something like that wouldn’t hurt her.”

“That’s what she told me.” She said that she was fine, but part of Izuku felt like he might’ve just left a bruise. And right after she just… Hold on a second. “ Wait, what did you just call her?” His mentor let out a sudden cough, staining the palm of his hand with a slight bit of blood. The man beside him pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, sounding quite exasperated.

“It’s a force of habit,” All Might admitted. “I’ve known about her since she was small, so it was bound to happen.” Wait—

“You know Rose?” Izuku asked. There was a beat.

Ozpin glanced over at his colleague with a large amount of surprise. “You didn’t tell him about  _ that _ ?”

“I didn’t fell like I needed to!” All Might sighed, sounding somewhat defeated. “Yes, I know her.” Izuku opened his mouth, only to shut it again as his teacher continued. “And before you ask, no. She doesn’t know about One for All or about my current condition. For all she knows, All Might is a different person compared to… me.”

Izuku hummed upon hearing that, and now that he thought about it some more… “I had a feeling you knew Rose after what happened when she saw you during the Sports Festival. She called you by name in the infirmary… and you do almost call her by her given name a lot in class.”

Like he did just now, Izuku wants to add, but he kept his mouth shut on that part.

“You do, do you?” said Ozpin, a brow raised as he stared at his colleague.

“Like I said, it’s a force of habit,” All Might reinterred. He sighed, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck before turning to his student. “I used to work with her mother often, too. Since Ruby has her mother’s family name, it just made things easier when talking about the two of them to refer to them by given name instead..”

“Her mom? So she’s a Pro Hero, too?” asked Izuku. His mentor and the older teacher stared at him. “Uh… Rose told me about her dad and uncle during the Sports Festival. But I didn’t realize…”

“Yes. She was…” Ozpin, remaining silently, dug into the pocket of his coat. He produced a simple, old-looking picture.

“This was her.” He handed the photo to Izuku. It depicted a young woman somewhere in her twenties. She looked startlingly similar to Rose — from her bright silver eyes to the black-to-red gradient of her shoulder-length hair. She was dressed in what Izuku had to assume was hero attire. The one feature that stood out the most against the black of her suit had to be the cloak she wore. It was white, with the inner lining a bright shade of red. It was pinned to her shoulders with silver roses.

It took Izuku a second to put a name to her face.

“No way… this is Ms. Moonlight,” he said as he stared at the photo.

“You know her?” asked Ozpin.

Izuku nodded, handing the picture back to him. “She was an amazing hero who gave her life to protect people. I used to watch a lot of old videos that she was in. It was hard to  _ not _ find out more and more about her… even if she did die when I was little.” The floodgates had opened, and Izuku found himself still talking. “I can’t believe she’s Rose’s mom. But now that I think about it, they do look a lot alike… but that means…” He broke out of his ramble as that thought finally hit him, “oh.”

Rose’s mother was gone, having died when she was still very young. She probably didn’t even remember her.

“Summer Rose died fighting against a villain who sought to do harm to someone who was fairly close to her. A villain that we believe is…” Ozpin exchanged a look with All Might, “involved with this situation.”

“Situation?” Izuku repeated, getting a nod from the silver-haired man. “What does this have to do with One for All?”

“The Quirk you have now is unique, and we feel that you should know its origin,” All Might explained. “One for All was derived from another odd Quirk, a power that’s very old.”

Izuku blinked. “It used to be something different?” All Might nodded.

“The name of that Quirk is ‘All for One’. It allowed its user to take Quirks from others. Then the User could keep the Quirks for himself or give them to someone else.” A pit dropped into Izuku’s stomach.

“What? You mean… he could steal powers?” That… That was impossible. There were Quirks that could copy other powers, sure, but steal them?! He had never heard of anything like that.

“This was back when Quirks were just starting to show up. Before society had figured out how to deal with the newly powered among them. When Quirks first appeared, suddenly, it was impossible to say what it meant to be a ‘normal’ person. Laws and human rights were hotly debated. Civilization’s progress stalled. Society decayed.”

“‘If superpowers had never appeared, then humans would be taing interstellar holidays by this point’,” Izuku muttered to himself out loud. “I remember hearing that from someone famous.”

“Smart boy,” Ozpin said with a satisfied smirk.

Izuku gave him a short nod. “Thank you, sir.”

All Might continued on. “During that chaotic period of change, there was one man who managed to rally many people together. He went by the name of his power: All for One. He stole Quirks from others. And then, with his overwhelming abilities, he spread his influence across the country. He manipulated people to serve his purposes and committed evil acts with little resistance. In the blink of an eye, he became the leader of villains and ruled over Japan.”

Izuku tightened the grip he had on his knees. “I’ve seen plenty of rumors about this online, sure, but isn’t that all just made up? It’s not mentioned in our textbooks.”

“It’s a period of history that people would rather ignore than acknowledge and better themselves from it,” Ozpin told the boy with a solemn tone. “Ignorance is bliss for a reason.”

“How does this all tie together, though? And what about One for All?” Neither of them had mentioned it at all so far. It was mostly that villain...

“I said that All for One could give Quirks to others, remember? He made people trust him or submit to his will by altering their abilities,” All Might explained a bit further. “But apparently, there were many poor souls who couldn’t bear the burden of the Quirks they were given. They became like mindless living dolls, incapable of speaking. Just like the Nomus are.”

Izuku swallowed down something in his throat, briefly feeling the sensation of Nomu's talons digging into his arms. 

“Meanwhile, some Quirks actually evolved as they were passed on. Some even combined with other power sets. This evil man had two seemingly-Quirkless brothers: one older, and one younger. The younger was small and sickly and was often cared for by the oldest, but he had a strong sense of justice. They couldn’t have been more different. It pained the brothers to see All for One’s deeds, so they kept resisting him. And then, All for One transferred a Quirk to his younger sibling, one that would allow him to stockpile power. We don’t know if it was a gift he was giving his brother, or if he just wanted to force him to submit.

Something that stockpiled power…? That sounded a lot like…

The color drained from Izuku’s face. “Don't tell me—”

“Yes,” his mentor nodded, much to the dismay of Izuku's unsettling stomach. “Even though everyone thought he was Quirkless— turns out the brother did have a Quirk. Though even he hadn’t realized this to be the case. He had a useless power that allowed him to pass on Quirks.” All Might threw his arms out, hitting Ozpin dead in the chest in the process. “And so, the stockpiling ability merged with the younger brother’s power, and that is how One for All came to be.”

Izuku simply sat there, stunned beyond all manner of speech as Ozpin pushed All Might’s arm off of him. That’s…  _ That _ was where One for All came from? It was almost hard to believe, but it made sense… as much as Izuku hated to admit it.

“I always found it ironic that justice so often spawns from evil,” All Might said with a short sigh.

“Wait, hold on!” said Izuku, possibly just cutting off his mentor. “I understand how One for All came about now, but this bad guy must be dead by this point. So why are you bringing him up? And what does he have to do with Rose’s mom?” They said that he had something to do with the person who ended her life, but up until now, Izuku hadn’t heard her name brought up at all—

“He killed her,” said Ozpin, voice stone cold as the whatever remaining color there was drained from Izuku’s face. “Someone who has the ability to steal Quirks is just about free from restriction. I wouldn’t be surprised if All for One managed to get his hands on something similar to Immortality.”

“If he did…” All Might drew in a sharp breath before continuing on with his story. “With the state of the world at the time and the huge difference in their combat abilities, the younger brother decided to entrust this new Quirk to future generations. Even though he couldn’t defeat All for One, he hoped One for All would continue to grow in power, until it was strong enough to stop his older brother. Eventually, it was my turn, and I managed to defeat All for One!”

“At least that’s what we thought.” Izuku felt more knots twist in his stomach as All Might walked over to the window. “But now, we believe that he might have survived. That he’s the mastermind behind the League of Villains.”

...that villain… was what? A-And if the purpose for One for All was to defeat All for One, then that meant… Izuku would have to...

All Might just stared out the window. “So, now you know. The entire purpose of One for All is to defeat All for One. As its holder, you many one day have to fight against this great evil yourself. Because I failed.” Ozpin’s eyes softened as he stared at his old friend. All Might turned back to face his student. “I know you didn’t expect this but—”

“I’ll do my best! I’ll do whatever you ask.” Izuku stood up, with determination burning in his eyes. “No matter what it might take. As long as you’re with me, I can do anything! I know you’ll have my back!”

All Might covered his mouth, as if unsure what to say while his friend merely stared at him. Izuku wasn’t alone. He had his teacher to stand by his side with him, and help guide him through his goal. As long as All Might was there… Izuku felt like he could do anything.

“Thank you…”

Izuku left after that, both teachers looking more grim than when he arrived. He supposed it was because of the reminder that story had brought them. But still… Izuku had fought against the League of Villains once before and survived. He had his teacher, as well as his friends there to help out in the fight, too. A fight that he hoped was in the far future.

When the fight did eventually come… he hoped that he wouldn’t be alone. Katsuki, Uraraka, Iida, Todoroki and all of the others… Rose included would be by his side to help him. ...Rose. Now that he thought about it, the two had another connection besides being in the same class. It wasn’t necessarily a good one, but it was some connection nonetheless. Her mother and his mentor were close though… he decided to focus on that rather than the latter.

As he left U.A. that day, Izuku came to terms with the fact that he never realized how closely everything and everyone had been connected in the web of life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go! That's the end of this arc! Betcha guys weren't expecting something like that to be dropped at the end, huh? And that's just part of the iceberg. Things go a bit deeper than that, but we won't get into it for a while. Remember that slow burn bit in the tags? Yeah... things are incredibly stretched out for various reasons, partially to give information time to absorb before I drop another bomb. However, there will be subtle hints and the like sprinkled in throughout the story before any major revelations.
> 
> Sometimes my foreshadowing is intentional.
> 
> But! Now that the Hero Killer arc is done, it's time for the Final Exams! And I'm really looking forward to what I have set up for the arc, as well as Ruby's practical exam. Hehe... >:)
> 
> Also, if I manage to get the next few chapters done -- with my upload schedule -- I'd get to upload Ruby's practical on Halloween. Which is her birthday.
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Twenty-Two: The End of the Semester!
> 
> “Well, it’s almost time for summer vacation. Don’t get too excited. You can’t just relax an entire month. You’ll be training while you’re camping in the woods.”
> 
> “However. Those of you who don’t pass the final exam before the semester is over… will have summer school.”
> 
> There’s only one week left before your final exams begin. I’m sure you’re all studying constantly, right? Don’t forget to keep training. The written exam is only one element. There’s also the practical portion to worry about. Good luck.”
> 
> “Having trouble studying, Rose?”  
> “It’s… complicated. But for the most part, yeah. It’s fine. I can—”  
> “If you’re having trouble, we could alway study together.”
> 
> “I won’t have another half-assed win like the festival. We’ll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals— new rankings. So we’ll all know exactly where we’re standing! I'll show you how much better I am. And Todoroki? I’ll kill you, too.”
> 
> “Think it’s impatience? Or hatred?”  
> “Knowing Bakugo, it’s probably both…”


	22. The End of the Semester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first term at U.A. is coming to an end, and summer is just around the corner. But there's still something that 1-A needs to prepare for: final exams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not many warnings for this chapter since it's just the arc's opener. But hey! We're at the last arc of the fic! Whose ready for the final exams?
> 
> I have so many things planned, one of the good things being set up in this very chapter ^-^ 
> 
> Enjoy!

Days seemed to zip on by after the interships Class 1-A undertook. Injuries healed, things started to lull into a sense of morality and soon enough, they crept towards the end of the semester and the end of June. As the creeping heat of summer arrived, so did the excitement of the season. Class 1-A was buzzing with hype, despite their teacher’s warning over it, for the summer vacation that was to come.

Ruby was pretty sure that hype exponentially increased with the announcement Mr. Aizawa had made that very morning.

“Well, it’s almost time for summer vacation. Don’t get too excited,” said the kids’ teacher, reminding them once again to maintain levelheads. “You can’t just relax an entire month. You’ll be training while you’re camping in the woods.”

Despite what he had just said, Aizawa’s class erupted into cheers. Chatter grew with their excitement over the training camp and everything that it would entail. It was a huge sleepover for the kids, filled with dreams of fireworks, s’mores and maybe even hot springs.

“We’ve been training in cities,” said Yaoyorozu, her excitement a bit more at ease than those of her classmates — the speedy girl buzzing behind her included — “so these will be very different conditions for most of us.”

Tokoyami nodded. “No matter what the environment, we must always remain vigilant. Yes. Very wise.”

“Hanging out with everyone all summer—” said Hagakure with a slight squeal, “I’m so excited!”

Mr. Aizawa’s eyes turned red with his Erasure Quirk, his hair standing on end in order to silence his students. 

“However. Those of you who don’t pass the final exam before the semester is over…” he let the effects of his Quirk fade, “will have summer school.” Summer school? That did not sound good. And apparently the class agreed.

“Everyone!” Kirishima stood up, bracing himself on his desk, “Do you best!”

Bakugo huffed, sinking down in his seat. “This is so stupid.” 

“All you girls better pass this thing!” called out Mineta. Ruby rolled her eyes as the school bells chimed. But still… she grinned. Summer camp? While it might have been for training, it still meant that everyone would be together. They would get to feel like normal kids for once since the school year began. And they would all be together.

...so long as they could pass the written and practical portions of the final exam. Ruby’s smile faded. Oh no.

Aizawa sighed.

“Alright, that’s it for class today. There’s only one week left before your final exams begin. I’m sure you’re all studying constantly, right? Don’t forget to keep training,” he said, tacking on that last reminder for his students as he gathered up his things. “The written exam is only one element. There’s also the practical portion to worry about. Good luck.”

And with that, Aizawa took his leave. And the class picked up its chatter once more, with Mina and Kaminari letting out loud and desperate groans about how they had barely taken notes the entire semester.

“With the Sports Festival and the internship,” Kaminari griped aloud while Mina tried to deflect her worries with a nervous chuckle. “I didn’t have time to read the textbook.” The kids were really busy...

“It’s true that we haven't had very much free time lately,” said Tokoyami.

“We barely learned anything when we took our midterms so they didn’t seem all that hard, but I’m kinda worried about these,” added Sato. “We’ve been through a lot, and they probably won’t pull any punches when it comes to testing us.”

Mineta seemed a bit too smug for Ruby’s liking. “As someone ranked in the top ten, I’m not that concerned.”

“What?!” Mina, Kaminari and Ruby shouted in unison, with the latter of the three jumping out of her seat and slamming her hands on the desk. Out of all people, Mineta ranked in the top ten?!

“Aw, man,” groaned Mina, “and here I thought you were one of us!”

“Don’t you know weirdo little creeps like you are only likeable if they’re kind of stupid?!” added in Kaminari. “Who’s going to love you now?!”

“Everyone.” Mineta smirked. “Trust me. “

“No,” Ruby dropped back down in her seat, crossing her legs and pulling her uniform’s skirt down a little further in hopes of covering them, “they won’t.” At least she and the rest of the girls wouldn’t.

Midoriya stood up, going the group freaking out over the exams in the back. “Guys! We’ve still got time to study! That way, we’ll all get to go to the training camp together. Right?”

“Yes!” added in Iida, making his way over as well. “A class rep, I have high hopes that we’ll make U.A. proud.”

“It’s pretty hard to fail if you just pay attention in class, isn’t it?” mused Todoroki. If only things were that easy.

Kaminari let out a loud groan. “Why you gotta cut me down like that…?”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Yaoyorozu — who had placed at the top of the class for the midterm exams — turned around in her seat to face Mina and Kaminari. “I can catch you up to speed on the important topics if you want.”

Mina’s and Kaminari’s eyes lit up. “You’re the best, Yaomomo!”

Ruby let out a sigh as Jirou, Sero and Ojiro joined in and asked Yaoyorozu to tutor them. She glanced up at the boys that were now standing by her desk.

“You know, it’s really easy for the three of you to say things like that when you guys ranked so high in the midterms compared to people like Mina, Kaminari…” Ruby sighed again, “and me.” Unlike Iida, Todoroki and Midoriya (all of whom hit the top five), Ruby had only managed to rank sixteenth.

“Again, it’s not that hard if you just pay attention in class,” Todoroki told her. Ruby let out a huff, leaning forward on her desk.

“That’s easy for you to say…”

“Having trouble studying, Rose?” asked iida.

“It’s… complicated.” It really wasn’t, but Ruby didn’t feel like saying the reason flat out. At least not like this, in this conversation. “But for the most part, yeah. It’s fine. I can—”

“If you’re having trouble,” said Midoriya, cutting Ruby off before she could convince herself that she wasn’t, “we could alway study together.” There was a moment before Ruby quickly nodded. Midoriya had taken the fourth spot in terms of their midterms scores. With his help, she definitely would pass the written finals. “Though I don’t think my place would be big enough for all four of us…”

The three around Midoriya stared at him.

“You’re inviting us, too?” said Iida with a brow raised.

“Sure, why wouldn’t I?” Midoriya replied with a shrug. “We’re friends, and friends help each other out, remember?” Iida simply smiled and nodded. Ruby never thought that the promise they made would come into play here. She mostly asked them to make it so that they wouldn’t run itodanger on their own and get hurt. But here, she wasn’t really complaining. Todoroki glanced down at the ground.

“In that case, my home is definitely off the table,” he said. Right… Ruby didn’t exactly have to ask why. Well, if Midoriya and Todoroki couldn't accommodate them… and while Iida probably could, they were already dealing with a lot considering their oldest was in the hospital still...

“Uh, well…” Ruby leaned back in her chair, twirling a lock of her hair between her fingers, “w-we could always study at my house.”

Midoriya’s eyes widened a little. “A-Are you sure?”

“Midoriya’s right,” said Iida. “If there's a problem, then it would be disrespectful to intrude—”

“It’s fine,” Ruby quickly told them, though she was pretty sure that wasn’t the reason Midoriya was asking if it was okay. “My sister and a couple of her classmates always have a huge study party the week of final exams. I don’t think my dad will mind if my friends show up, too. We can train for the practical exam while we’re at it! If that’s okay with you guys. We have a huge backyard!”

Todoroki raised a brow. “You’re allowed to train outside?”

“Usually if it’s not raining.” Wasn’t he? With his Quirk, it would make more sense to have more room… well, as much room as they could probably get. Her yard was big enough to accomodate all of their abilities if they were careful… and didn’t have Zwei— ...right, Zwei. “I don’t think there should be a problem as long as you guys aren’t allergic to dogs or anything. We have one. He’s a corgi named Zwei. I think you guys might like him, though he can get excited around new people…”

Todoroki tensed up, shoving his hands into his pockets to hide that, despite the fact that Ruby could feel the increase in heat coming from his left side. “A dog?”

“Not a fan, Todoroki?” asked Midoriya.

“Uh, no. I’m fine with them.” Todoroki simply shrugged. “I’ve just never been around them before.”

“I promise it’ll be fine,” said Ruby, offering her half-and-half friend a soft smile. Todoroki simply hummed in reply. “If you want, we could invite some other people from class.” And she caught sight of the perfect people. “Oh! Tsuyu! Ochako! There’s something I want to ask you!”

Hopefully her dad and Uncle Qrow would be fine with having thirteen teenagers over rather than the usual eight...

* * *

The thought of their looming final exams did not leave Class 1-A’s mind all morning. It didn’t help that all their teachers kept bringing it up, going over the material that would be covered and reminding their students to prepare for them. It even followed the ids tuo lunch, where it quickly became the topic of conversation.

“I’m kinda scared about the practical,” said Midoriya, pushing his food around its bowl.” I have no idea what it’s gonna be.”

“Hard to believe they’d give us anything too crazy,” said Iida.

“The written exam questions will all be stuff from class so…” Midoriya finally picked up a piece of chicken and popped it into his mouth, “...I should at least be able to do those.”

“Do you really think it’s going to be that simple?” Ochako asked. Midoriya simply shrugged.

“It’s driving me nuts. I just wanna know what they’ll have us doing.”

Ruby stared at him, a brow raised.” I don’t get why you’re so worried about the practical. They’re just going to test us on everything we’ve learned so far this year.”

“That’s all we could get Mr. Aizawa to tell us,” finished Tsuyu. The two girls had managed to croner their teacher that morning before the break to try and find out a little bit more about the practical exams. To say that they were successful was an overstatement. However… 

“Well, yeah,” said Ruby, “but there’s really nothing to—”

“Okay, so then It’ll cover combat training and rescue training,” said Ochako, counting off everything with a tap against her own bowl. “Oh, and basic training.”

“It’s not that bad. It’s just—

“We can’t just study — we have to stay in great physical shape—” Midoriya began to ramble on. He would have continued if it weren’t for a blonde student coming up from behind and sharply elbowing him in the head, much to the shock of everyone sitting at the table.

“Oh, sorry,” said the student, not sounding sincere at all. “Your head’s so big that it’s hard to miss.”

“You’re from Class 1-B. Uh… Monoma, right?” Midoriya rubbed the spot on his head that the other student — Monoma — had struck. Ruby stared at him. Wasn’t he the same kid who was taunting 1-A during the Sports Festival? “That really hur—”

“I heard you guys stumbled across the Hero Killer.” Ruby went rigid as several of those at the table sharply gasped. It didn’t help that all four who had been involved with the Hero Killer fight were sitting at this exact table. Iida glared at Monoma, while Todoroki fought to stay indifferent towards his comment.

“Just like in the sports festival, Class 1-A isn’t happy unless they’re the center of attention. But you do realize you’re not in the spotlight because people think you’re good heroes, right?” Monoma continued. Ochako put her bowl down, eyes throwing daggers at the 1-B student. Ruby picked up her spoon, the idea of making a catapult with it sounding better and better by the second. She took aim for Monoma’s mouth. “It’s just that you keep getting into so much trouble. Here’s food for thought: Someday, the rest of us might get caught up in your mess, and then we’ll all become unwitting victims as well. What kind of horrible villains will you bring down upon us? What demon—”

Relief came before Ruby could start another food fight. Itsuka Kendou came up from behind onoma, striking him sharply on the back of the head to cut him off. Monoma let out nothing but a grunt before he dropped down to the ground. Kendou caught his tray in her hand before it could fall too.

“That’s not funny, Monoma,” she said, chastising the blonde whose collar she currently held onto. “You heard what happened to Iida! Chill out!”

“Uh, Kendou—” Iida said, somewhat surprised by her sudden appearance. Kendou’s expression softened.

“I apologize for him. I’m pretty sure there’s a hole where his heart should be.” Ruby glanced down at Monoma. Was he out cold…? Kendou let out a hum. “So I was listening… I know you're all worried about what’s going to be on the big final practical. I heard it’s gonna be combat against robots, like the entrance exam.”

“What? Really?” asked Midoriya, getting a nod in return. “How do you know that?”

“One of my friends who’s a few grades up filled me in,” Kendou told the group. “I know. Cheating. But oh well.”

“No, I don’t think so. I'm sure gathering information ahead of time is also part of the test. I definitely should’ve found an upperclassman to ask.” And Midoriya had started muttering again. “Xiao Long-Senpai definitely probably would’ve said something… she’s nice enough to help us out, right? Darn it, why didn’t I think about that before!?” Ruby nudged him under the table with her foot, snapping him out of his ramble. From Kendou’s grasp, Monoma bega to stir.

“What kind of idiot are you, Kendou? You just gave away our whole strategic advantage!” he said, voice dripping with irritation. “This was our chance to finally pull ahead of that class full of idiots—!” Kendou simply smacked him again.

“They’re not the idiots!” she exclaimed as she walked away, literally dragging Monoma behind her. Ruby watched her go.

“I wonder if Monoma realizes we would have found out either way…” Ruby let out a sigh as she received looks from her friends. “That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to say. Mr. Aizawa might not have said anything, but that doesn’t mean everyone won’t. I was gonna ask Yang about it later.”

“Right, your sister's a third year,” said Todoroki. “Do you think she would’ve told you about it?”

Ruby nodded. “Yeah.”

* * *

As the day wound went down to an end, Ruby finally got to share the details of the practical exam with the rest of 1-A. To say that they were relieved was an understatement. Mina and Kaminari were practically cheering when they got word of their opponents. Facing robots, it would be easy according to them.

“Why do you sound so happy?” asked Shoji. “You both have a hard time controlling your Quirks.”

“Yeah!” The air around Kaminari started to grow heavy with static from his relief alone. “But I can let loose with robots!”

“And melting them'll be a cinch for me!” added Mina with a happy giggle.

“Now you just need Yaoyorozu to help you study and you’ll be all set for finals,” said Sero with a smirk. Mina and Kaminari cheered at that reminder as well. With Yaoyorozu’s help, they’d definitely be able to go to the training camp now.

Ruby giggled, jumping up on her toes and getting in on the infectious celebration. “Let’s do this thing!”

That celebration was cut pretty short.

“It shouldn’t matter if it’s robots or actual people,” said Bakugo roughly, glaring over at the three celebrating over the prospect of metallic opponents. “Why are you morons so excited?”

“Hey, why are you calling a moron?!” shouted Kaminari, ears red from either embarrassment or anger. Ruby really wasn't sure which.

“Shut up! You need to learn how to control your Quirk! Ya got it?! Hey! Deku!” Midoriya snapped up out of his thoughts when Bakugo turned on him. “I don’t know what’s goin’ on with your power, but I saw the way you’re using it now, and I want you to know. It’s seriously pissing me off.”

Ruby raised a brow. What was he doing with it?

“Uh-oh,” Ochako said as she slid up towards the group watching Bakugo’s growing anger. “He must mean how Deku was flying around like him the other day.”

“Oh, yeah, totally,” said Mina in agreement. Ruby ducked behind Mina, hoping that was the only thing that Bakugo noticed. The girls had definitely picked up how Ruby was mimicking Bakugo and Midoriya well.

“I won’t have another half-assed win like the festival. We’ll be getting individual scores in the upcoming finals— new rankings. So we’ll all know exactly where we’re standing! I'll show you how much better I am,” Bakugo said with a growl. “And Todoroki? I’ll kill you, too.”

The class simply watched as Bakugo marched out of the room, slamming the classroom's door behind him. A moment of silence hung thick and heavy in the air, only broken when Kirishima sighed.

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen him that worked up…” he said, wringing a hand over the back of his neck.

“Think it’s impatience?” asked Tokoyami. “Or hatred?”

Ruby let out a short sigh of her own. “Knowing Bakugo, it’s probably both…”

She hoped that whatever it was, it didn’t have any repercussions. Ever since the Sports Festival ended, it felt like Bakugo had been growing worse and worse in terms of his behavior. Whatever was behind it, Ruby hoped that it got sorted out soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time:
> 
> Chapter Twenty-Three: Study Party
> 
> I just can’t wait for you to meet my friends! And see them when they’re not trying to blow up a stadium or each other. They’re really nice, and I want you to like them.”  
> “Ruby, if everything that you’ve told me about them is true, then I’m sure that they are.”
> 
> “Dad was at the Sports Festival. That’s how he knows you guys…”  
> “Well yeah, but Ruby does talk about you.”  
> "You do?”  
> “It’s all good things, I promise!”  
> “I think my job as an embarrassing father is done.”
> 
> “Why is part of it torn up like that?”  
> “Um… Hey, guys!”


	23. Study Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and a few other members of Class 1-A gear up for final exams with the help of some members of Class 3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There really are no warnings for this chapter. It's just pretty much filler and some wholesome moments after all the angst that was the Hero Killer arc. So sorry to disappoint the conspiracy theorists in the comments (although I did love seeing everyone's theories, they really put a smile on my face since stress had me performing a reboot last week), but this is just some wholesome stuff.
> 
> There's gonna be no more angst until after the practical exam, at the ends of 25 and 26 in order to set up future stuff that I have planned.
> 
> This chapter is 100% original content, and went through multiple versions (originally 1-A wasn't supposed to be involved at all, but I wanted them to interact with WBY and JNPR a bit more so, there), so I hope you all enjoy!

The day soon came before Ruby knew it. While the third years had already arrived and had set themselves up comfortably in the backyard, Ruby Rose remained in her house’s living room. She leaned up against the windowsill, waiting patiently on her toes with Zwei lingering around her heels. This was the first time any of her friends from school were going to be coming over. And she couldn’t wait for them to get here.

“A watched pot never boils, you know,” said Ruby’s father from the kitchen. He was sitting at the kitchen table, paperwork scattered over its surface. Ruby groaned, turning away from the window.

“Sorry! I just can’t wait for you to meet my friends!” she said as she walked over to where Taiyang sat, Zwei trotting behind her. “And see them when they’re not trying to blow up a stadium or each other. They’re really nice, and I want you to like them.”

“Ruby, if everything that you’ve told me about them is true, then I’m sure that they are.” Ruby hummed.

“Guess I’m just nervous.” This was the first time her own friends were coming over. Not a shared friend that were any of Yang’s friends. Her own. Zwei nudged up against her leg. Ruby let out a small chuckle as he paws at her shoe. She picked him up and sat down at the table, with Zwei comfortable in her lap. “Were you like this the first time you brought friends home?”

“Uh…” Taiyang paused in his work, staring off into the space between him and his daughter for a moment. “No, your mom was. She grew up… a bit isolated, so the first time we came over, she was… pretty much like you are right now.”

Ruby groaned, scratching Zwei behind his ears. “I feel like I’m going to explode again.”

Taiyang returned to his work. “Everything will be fine, Ruby.”

“Will it?” Her father glanced up at her.

“Have I ever been wrong when I say that?”

“No…” Not yet anyway, but considering his current track record… “Thanks, Dad.”

There was a knock on the door that interrupted the conversation. Zwei let out a bark as he hopped off of Ruby’s lap. Ruby herself jumped up, rushing towards the door in a burst of rose petals. 

“Ruby, no using your Quirk in the house!” she heard her father shout, but it was a bit too late to remember that rule. She had dashed to the window, peeking out from the curtains. She barely held back an elated giggle. Ruby went to the door and opened it. As promised previously, Midoriya, Todoroki, Iida, Ochako and Tsuyu were waiting there.

“Hey, guys!” Ruby said, greeting them as she tried to quell her exploding happiness.Zei barks at the newcomers at his home, making Todoroki and Tsuyu jump. The former ducked behind Iida, while the latter quite literally jumped up and grabbed the class rep’s arm with a ribbit. Meanwhile, Ochako’s eyes lit up when she saw the pup. She dropped down immediately to greet the corgi.

“Aw, he’s adorable!” she said as Zwei trotted up to her, happy to get pets.

Midoriya dropped down into a crouch as well to greet the pup. “This must be Zwei, right?”

Ruby nodded as Zwei nudged Midoriya’s hand with his nose. “He’s friendly, I promise.”

There was a moment before Tsuyu slid off of Iida’s arm. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Zwei trotted up to her. He let out a small bark, nudging his nose up against her leg. Tsuyu let out a low croak before she knelt down and pet him, making the corgi very happy if his wagging tail said anything.

“Are you sure?” Todoroki asked, staring down at Zwei.

Ruby nodded again. “Yup.”

“Are you sure that you’re not scared of dogs?” Iida asked, glancing at the half-and-half boy currently using him as a shield.

“Yeah.” There was a moment before Todoroki stepped out from behind Iida. Zwei walked over, nuzzling up against Todoroki’s leg. Todoroki tensed up upon the dog first making contact with him, but soon eased up a little when he saw that Zwei meant no harm. Ruby smiled.

“Everyone’s in the backyard. Oh, but we have to keep the noise down a little. My dad’s working in the kitchen,” she said, gesturing to the room behind them. A thought popped into her head. “Oh! You guys should meet my dad.”

After getting approval from her friends, the group entered the home, moving towards the kitchen. Ruby noticed that Zwei was trotting around Todoroki’s heels. She giggled a little, falling back a bit to the half-and-half boy.

“Looks like Zwei’s taken a liking to you,” said Ruby. Todoroki glanced down at the dog.

“Apparently,” he said before looking over at her. “You really were so certain about him being friendly.”

Ruby looked to the others in front of them before lowering her voice. “I was so sure that things will be fine because Zwei is technically a therapy dog. He goes back and forth with my dad and uncle to their agency and here.”

Todoroki simply hummed at that. The group entered the kitchen, where Taiyang Xiao Long hadn't moved from his spot at all.

“Hey, Dad,” said Ruby, making her way to the front. Her father looked up at the teenagers that surrounded his daughter. He leaned back, relaxed and tried his best to make the kids feel welcome. The others, meanwhile… Ruby could feel the nerves return and cast their grip on all of them when faced with a Pro Hero in such a casual setting.

Iida was the first to say anything to his friend's father. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rose!”

“It’s uh…” Taiyang laughed, “Xiao Long actually.” Iida turned a bit red as he straightened up, clearing his throat. Well… things were off to a great start…”

“Um, my apologies. I just assumed—”

“Uh!” Midoriya quickly cut Iida off, and did very little to hide his nervous grin or his nerves in general. “It’s still an honor to meet you, sir!” 

Taiyang simply chuckled. “I guess you’re Izuku Midoriya?”

“Uh…” Midoriya's face turned red as he nodded, “yes, sir.”

“You know us?” asked Tsuyu.

“Oh, yeah. Ruby talks about you kids a lot,” Taiyang explained, ignoring his daughter slowly turning red behind her friends. “I know all about you kids. I should thank you for all you’ve done—” Ruby cut him off with a groan.

“Dad was at the Sports Festival,” she explained. “That’s how he knows you guys…” Why couldn’t he just say that right off the bat?!

“Well yeah, but Ruby does talk about you.”

Todoroki raised a brow as he looked over at the girl in question. “You do?”

“It’s all good things, I promise!” Ruby said quickly, her face growing red the more flustered she grew. She sighed, running her hands through her hair. Why did he have to do this…?

Taiyang laughed. “I think my job as an embarrassing father is done.” He gestured to the door behind him. “Everyone else is in the backyard if you want to join them.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Tsuyu with a small ribbit tacked at the end.

“No problem… uh Asui?” Tsuyu nodded. “Asui.” The kids began to head out the backyard, only stopping when Taiyang called back out to them. “Uh, just a heads up. My brother-in-law will be back in a few hours. He’s a bit more… eh… rough around the edges, but things should be fine. If there’s anything you kids need, just let me know!”

There was a murmur of yes-es as Ruby opened the back door. Together, the kids head into the Xiao Long-Rose backyard. Just as Ruby expected, things were already in swing. Well, as in swing as a group of seven teenagers could be. Jaune, Yang and the literally redhead Pyrrha Nikos were sparring with each other a good distance away, preparing for their own practical exams while the short with equally short orange-haired Nora Valkyrie watched, intensely waiting for her chance to go.

Weiss and Blake were situated at a picnic table on the porch, textbooks and notes scattered between them as the worked on assignments and study guides most likely made by Weiss. Lie Ren was with them, nose buried so deep in a book of his own that his long, dark bangs were obscuring his face. 

All seven were so wrapped up in what they were doing that they didn’t notice the first years’ arrival.

“You weren’t kidding when you said you had a big backyard…” said Ochako, voicing her thoughts out loud. Ruby smirked a little.

Todoroki’s eyes wandered over to the area where Yang, Jaune and Pyrrha were sparring in. “Why is part of it torn up like that?”

“Um…” Ruby bit down on her lip. The backyard might have gotten a bit torn up from her and Yang training for the Sports Festival. Pretty much the entire backyard had recovered from it except… Ruby walked out onto the porch, waving towards the older group. “Hey, guys!”

Nora’s face lit up when she spotted Ruby and the others behind her. “Oh, hey, the 1-A Brigade is here!” Attention finally fell on the new arrivals.

“Hello there,” said Pyrrha, flashing the kids a polite smile before she swung her leg over Jaune’s head. He ducked and spun on his heel, punching the blonde girl behind him.

“What’s up?” Yang said, ducking underneath Jaune’s fist before catching it on her own. Ren lowered his book and simply gave a wave.

Ochako offered up a friendly grin. “Hello again!”

Introductions — or rather, re-introductions, since the kids of 1-A had met these members of class 3 only once or twice before — were made all around. Once names had been exchanged, the kids settled at the table with Ren and the other two members of 3-A. Everyone began to unpack their own books and the like. However, Midoriya seemed a bit fixated on the sparring session taking place not too far away.

“Is one against two really all that fair?” he asked. Blake merely glanced over at the fighting group.

“They’ll be fine,” she said simply.

“At least they’re not up against a seasoned Pro…” Ren mused aloud, still not looking up from what he was reading.

“Not yet!” Yang called back as she slid near the younger kids with a grunt. She smirked. “Just wait until Uncle Qrow gets here! He taught Ruby just about everything that she knows.” Yang rushed back to where the fight was going on, ducking underneath Pyrrha. She swung her own leg out, missing her target and knocking Jaune to the ground instead. “Dad and I taught her the rest. Including the most important rule in combat.”

“Rule number #1: Aim for the face,” Ruby recited with a smirk. Yang nodded with pride.

“That explains a lot actually,” said Tsuyu. “That’s usually the first move you make during training.”

“I do not…” First it was Mina during their tournament fight, and now Tsuyu… Ruby didn’t always go for the— She thought about it for a moment. “Do I?”

“Usually,” Todoroki responded blunty. Zwei hopped up on the bench, happily settling himself right between Ruby and Todoroki.

“it’s a smart move, though,” added Midoriya. “If you can land it, you could do some serious damage or at the very least disorient them…” He trailed off, muttering the rest to himself. Weiss stared at the green-haired boy with a brow raised.

“is that normal?” she asked.

“For Midoriya, it is,” Tsuyu replied.

Iida dropped his textbook on the table, with a thud louder than he probably meant, but one that succeeded in snapping Midoriya back to reality. “We can focus on the practical portion of the exam later. Remember, if you want to go to the training camp, we need to pass both the practical  _ and _ the written exam.”

Ruby groaned upn that reminder, falling face-first down onto the table. Blake acted quickly, sliding her own textbook forward to catch Ruby’s forehead before it can hit the table itself.

“Training camp?” she repeated with a brow raised. Ruby huffed, propping her chin up on the book. She knew she forgot to mention something… The other members of 1-A explained to the third years about the training camp that was offered to their underclassmen. Ruby herself sat up, staring at the words on the pages in front of her. Tsuyu patted her shoulder.

“We just have to work hard,” she told her. “I’m sure that you can pass the exam with flying colors.”

Ruby let out a short, relieved sigh. “Thanks, Tsu.”

* * *

And so, the hard work then began. Ruby got through their math work with relative ease, and although she stumbled a bit when it came to irregular verbs, her English proved to be something that Present Mic could be proud of. She lent her hand to her classmates and friends when it comes to those two subjects, and with everything else she relies on her friends to help. 

Though, Ruby guessed that having some of the older U.A. students there to help gave a bit of an advantage. 

At some point — Ruby wasn’t sure when — Zwei ended up in Todoroki’s lap. Nora tagged out with Pyrrha when it came to practical practice, going at it with Yang and Jaune instead. That was until there was a commotion in the house that drew the kids’ attention.

“Yang!” Taiyang called immediately following it.

Yang side-stepped out of the way and elbowed Nora back. “I’m guessing those are the boys. I’ll be right back.”

She jogged off, and the spar took a pause. Jaune was breathing heavily and flopped back onto the ground. With a gasp, Pyrrha rushed over to help Nora pull him back on his feet.

“Boys?” Ruby repeated, staring at her sister as she walked past. So, more people were coming, but… “Mirio and Tamaki?”

“Nope!” Yang popped the ‘P’ as she disappeared into the house. Ruby raised a brow. Okay, so it wasn’t Mirio or Tamaki… and Ren and Jaune were already here. What other boys did Yang know?”

Ruby was snapped out of her thoughts when Weiss groaned. “Did she actually invite him?”

“Final exams aren’t the only things coming up, Weiss,” said Blake. “The provisional license exam is this Saturday.” Weiss sighed, bracing her cheek in her hand. The members of 1-A exchanged looks with each other. Ruby remembered something about provisional licenses…. he remembered Yang and Jaune talking about them a while ago, and especially during their second year, but… Did they meet someone there?

“Who’re you guys talking about?” asked Midoriya, probably the only one with the gut to ask.

Blake turned to him. “A friend of mine that I met during the provisional licensing exam last year is coming over. He’s been having pretty bad luck with it. He’s failed it twice already. This’ll be his third time taking it.”

“To be fair, only half the people who take that exam pass,” said Pyrrha.

“And yet the seven of us passed without a problem,” Weiss brought up.

And when finally, Ochako said what was on Ruby’s mind. “Hang on, provisional licensing? What’s that?” The third years were quiet for a moment. Ren sighed, finally tearing himself away from his book.

“Think of it as a learning permit for hero work,” he told her.

“And as I’ve been reminded many times, they’re only to be used for emergencies,” Jaune said with a huff, glaring at the backdoor. “Thank you, Yang.”

Pyrrha put a hand on his shoulder. “We all have one. We’ll get our actual hero licenses at the end of the school year once we graduate.”

“The provisional licensing exam is held at the end of June and the beginning of September every year,” Blake explained. The first years exchanged looks with each other. “Don’t worry, if Mr. Aizawa hasn’t told you about it, then you’re probably not going to take it. It’s rare for first years to go out for a provisional license anyway.”

Before any more questions could be asked, the back door slid open once again. Yang made her return, with two strangers following after her. One was a blonde boy, a monkey-like tail curled around his waist and a peace sign one his fingers. The other had electric blue hair that Ruby couldn’t tell if it was dyed or not, and goggles perches on top of his head. Both of them seemed to be about Yang’s age.

“‘sup losers!” said the blonde boy with a grin as he, following Yang, walked up to the table where the others had situated themselves. Ruby only stared. She didn’t recognize either of these two.

Blake gently smiled before softly laughing. “Hey, Sun.”

“Yang, Blake…” said Sun, nodding to each girl in turn until he got to Weiss. “Ice Queen.”

Weiss stood up, slamming her hands down on the table and pointing a finger at him. “Why do you keep calling me that?! That’s not even my hero name!” Sun only laughed at Weiss’s irritation with the nickname.

“Um,” the blue-haired boy finally stepped out ro behind the two blondes he entered with and spoke up. “I thought you guys were supposed to be studying?”

Ren let out an exasperated sigh as Weiss sat back down. “Thank you!”

“Um,” Midoriya stood up, giving the two new arrivals a short nod. “It’s nice to meet you.”

There was a beat. It seemed like the third years finally got the hint that the first years were out of the loop. 

Blake to charge in remedying that. “Sun, Neptune,” she said to the two boys, gesturing to the younger teens, “this is Yang’s sister, Ruby, and her friends—”

“From Class 1-A, right?” the monkey boy — Sun, Ruby presumed — finished for Blake.

“That’s us!” Ochako told him, her voice wavering a bit with pink blushing her face.

Neptune stared at his friend. “How do you know that?”

“Dude, even I recognize most of these kids from the U.A. Sports Festival. It’s not that hard to figure out who they are,” Sun replied before turning to face Neptune, a feigned look of surprise on his face. “Oh wait, you didn’t watch the Sports Festival with me. Because you were too busy being a nerd.”

“Hey, hey, hey, hey! Intellectual, alright? Thank you.” Neptune sighed before waving to the kids. “I'm Neptune, and this is my friend, Sun.”

A thought popped into Ruby’s mind. “Wait, you guys are third years, right?” she asked. The boys nodded. “I’ve never seen you around U.A. before.”

“Ruby,” said Yang with a chuckle and a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest, “there are other schools in Japan with hero courses.” Ruby went a bit red. She knew that… she just didn’t know the names of them. U.A. was the only hero school that was in her sight. It was the only one she had applied to.

“Yup,” Neptune said with a nod, and with Sun lopping his arms proudly around his shoulders. “Sun and I are from Ketsubutsu Academy.”

Midoriya’s eyes widened. “Oh, wow!”

“Midoriya—” Midoriya ignored Iida, and instead got up from his place at the table. He bounded over to the new arrivals, quickly greeting them himself. Apparently meeting students from another hero school had set something off. He began talking vividly with Sun and Neptune about their school and the differences between them and U.A. Blake chuckled at the sight, rolling her eyes a little. She slid Ruby’s textbook over to Todoroki, who had been staring a bit at the scene as well.

“Sun!” Blake called out, grabbing Sun’s attention. “Come here.” The conversation broke like a magic spell. Tsuyu motioned for Midoriya to join her and his classmates again. There was a moment before Midoriya turned red-faced. Ochako giggled as he, realizing how badly he just fanboyed a bit, sat back down.

Sun, meanwhile, stared at Blake. “Come where?”

“One round with me, one round with Yang and then one with Pyrrha,” Blake said, gesturing to all three girls in turn. Sun loudly groaned as he slid off of Neptune. “You need to be ready for the exam.”

“I don’t need to practice! I got this in the bag!”

“That’s what you said last year,” Neptune told him. Sun seemed to falter for a moment.

“You've failed the licensing exam twice now,” added Ren flatly, not even bothering to look up from his work.

“But you know what they say,” said Sun with a grin, pounding his fist into his open palm. “Third time’s the charm!”

“it better be. At this rate, you’ll have to wait until we graduate to do any actual hero work,” said Neptune, making his friend groan. Defeated, Sun allowed Blake to lead him over to where the others had been practicing for their own practical exams. Nora slid up to Ren, nudging him with her elbow.

“Ren, why don’t you go for a round with him?” she suggested. Ren took one look at the group bringing their mock fight and shook his head.

“I’d rather not,” Ren returned to his reading. “I’ve been told that my sparring techniques are rather…” he glanced up at the first years, “harsh.”

“It can’t be that bad,” said Tsuyu. Ruby nodded in agreement. They were closer to them in strength compared to their teachers. Training with Ren shouldn’t be as bad as he was making it out to be.

“Ren,” Nora said, sounding a bit agitated at Ren’s decision, nuding his arm again, “you just have a leg up on him.”

Ruby blinked. “Him?” Were they talking about Sun?

“It’s uh…” Ren tried to hide his face among his book’s pages, “complicated.”

“No, it’s not!” said Nora, leaning up against Ren. “Ren’s got a little first year buddy!”

Ren glanced over at her. “I wouldn't phrase it like that. He’s as tall as I am.”

“I don’t think that’s what she meant,” Jaune told him as he sat down next to his classmate. “But, Ren, what is she talking about?”

“I’ve been…” Ren sighed, giving up on trying to hide it anymore, “assisting a first year student in General Studies in an effort to help him get into the hero course.” Ruby stared at him for a moment. Why did that description sound a bit familiar…? Wait.

“Is his name Hitoshi Shinsou by any chance?” Ruby asked. Midoriya glanced over at her, and Ren stared.

“Shinsou?” he repeated. Ruby nodded. She had told him about Ren during the Sports Festival. Maybe he took her advice and talked to him? The look Ren then gave her and Midoriya told Ruby enough.

“How did you know that?” Ren asked.

“I was on his team for the cavalry battle,” Ruby told him. “I also might have told him about you a little bit.”

“Are you… combat tutoring him? Good for him. I’m glad to see that he's—” Midoriya was cut off when Ren shook his head. There was a beat before he then changed it to a shrug.

“I suppose you could describe it like that, but it’s not me specifically doing it. I’m only helping out. I was…” Ren hesitated for a moment, “...asked to. By your homeroom teacher.”

“Mr. Aizawa?” said Midoriya with the slightest bit of disbelief. Ren nodded. Ruby stared at him. That was… odd. It seemed weird to her for Mr. Aizawa to go out of his way like that. But then again, this is the man who would do anything for his students, including getting his face slammed into the pavement, so it probably wasn’t too far out of reach.

“Is that even allowed?” asked Iida. “It seems like nepotism to give one student more attention as opposed to others. Especially when they’re not in the course he teaches.”

“If it is, I wasn’t told,” said Ren.

Nora looped her arm around Ren’s shoulders, making magenta eyes go wide and his book slide from his hands. “And Ren’s gonna be taking over while Mr. Eraser is at the training camp with the rest of you guys!”

“Only if we can pass our exams,” Ruby groaned, leaning against the table.

Todoroki went to put his hand against her shoulder, hesitating for a moment before actually going through with it. “You'll be fine. Just focus on your work.”

“We’re right here if you need help,” Iida told her, with Midoriya and Tsuyu nodding alongside him.

“Both written and practical!” Ochako added. Ruby greatly appreciated her friends' support but… staring down at her schoolwork made her own thoughts start to combat against their encouraging words.

“You make it sound like it’s easy,” she said. It wasn’t that simple to just pay attention. Tsuyu opened her mouth — perhaps to say something to fight back against Ruby’s negative train of thought — when a thud from the other side of the yard cut her off.

Sun had his arms thrown up, and looked a bit irritated. “Blake, come on! I know you can hit me harder!”

“You don’t want me to hit you harder,” Blake told him matter-of-factly.

“Yes, I do!” Ruby raised a brow. Why did he want to get hit harder…?

“Blake, don’t hit him harder!” Neptune called over to the pair. Sun groaned at his friend’s attempt to intervene.

“You hit Yang harder!”

“Because my Quirk needs me to get hit. Yours doesn’t,” Yang told him from nearby. “Besides, isn’t the whole point  _ not _ to get hit?”

Blake huffed, her cat-like ears flicking in the air. “She’s right, you know.”

“What’s his Quirk?” both Ruby and Midoriya asked almost simultaneously, eyes wide and bright.

Sun grinned. “Glad you asked! I can—!”

“You two. Focus,” said Weiss, sliding a book in front of the pair and snapping her fingers to bring them back to their current task at hand. Oh, right. Written exam studying. The white-haired girl looked to Ruby. “Ruby, did you take your medication today?”

“Yes! But I still rather be talking Quirks than studying boring things like books and ancient history,” Ruby groaned, slumping against the table. Medication or not, nothing really changed besides her focus. Her desire to do something else was still there. “I know I can pass the math section just fine, but everything else…”

“Ruby, if you want to go to the training camp, you'll need to focus,” Tsuyu reminded her. “You can pass the rest of your subjects, even if they aren’t your best.” Ruby frowned, slumping even further in her seat.

“I know it's not easy for you,” Weiss placed her hand on top of Ruby’s, causing her to look up, “so how about we make it easy?”

“You just can't make it easy!” Ruby snapped up, drawing her hands away from Weiss’s. “That's not how it works!” There as a beat as she leaned against the table, fingers digging into her hair as she felt a small bit of frustration start to build. Ruby felt Tsuyu’s hand on her back.

“Perhaps you could phrase it better,” Pyrrha suggested, fiddling with one of the bracelets she wore. Weiss hummed in response. Another second followed before she nodded.

“I’m going to introduce you to a method that I found out works pretty well,” Weiss pulled back to lean against the table. “It’s called an incentive.”

Ruby straightened up, staring at Weiss. “A what?”

“An incentive. For every question you get right, you'll get a small reward. It's the same thing I do when studying.” Ruby groaned, raking her fingers through her hair again.

“But you don't—!”

“Some of the subjects we cover aren't my favorites, so I need something to motivate me. Perhaps the same will work for you.” Ruby pulled back against the table, contemplating the idea. A reward?

“I think I get it,” said Iida. “If you get at least twenty questions right, then we can take a break—”

“Oh!” Ochako cut him off with a clap of her hands. “I have cookies in my bag. Maybe that will work?”

Ruby felt her mouth water the potential of her favorite treat “...deal.” 

Ochako smirked. Upon seeing it, part of Ruby began to regret ever telling Ochako about her own personal love of sweets. Wait… ...did she do this on purpose…?

Before Ruby could think any more about this, a voice echoed out from the house.

“I’m home!” Zwei let out a bark, jumping off a startled Todoroki’s lap and pawing against the backdoor. Ruby and Yang's eyes lit up at the sound of that particular voice.

“Uncle Qrow!” both girls shouted. Ruby disappeared from the table in a burst of rose petals, quickly throwing open the door zooming inside of the house with Yang and Zwei hot on her tail.

“Ruby, no Quirks in the—!” Taiyang called out, only to be cut off by a loud crash. Less than a second later, a yelp followed and a grown man’s groan. “—house…”

Ren let out a sigh, picking up his book and snapping it shut. “And this is why that rule exists.”

“The chaos has begun,” Blake said with a sigh as well.

Todoroki stared at the door, him and the rest of the younger teens trying to wrap their heads around what had just happened. “Is this normal?”

“You’ll learn quickly that this is normal for this family,” Weiss told him. Todoroki merely hummed in response.

Jaune sighed. “Come on, we’ll introduce you to the chaos.”

The students of 1-A exchanged looks with each other. Chaos? Either way, they got up from the table, following after their upperclassmen into the house with Midoriya at the front and moving the quickest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, a lot happened in this chapter that I dropped because I didn't know how.
> 
> 1: Yes, Ren is working with Aizawa to help train Shinsou I have an idea for a one-shot between these two that takes place during the training camp arc. I might make it and a couple of other one-shots I have planned ko-fi goals over on tumblr. I'm not sure what to do about that yet. All I can say is that the one-shot is wholesome and drops some Ren and Nora backstory for the AU, as well as some personal headcanons about Shinsou that are privy to the AU.
> 
> 2: This is not the first and last time I will tease Qrow. Unfortunately for everyone who's a Branwen fan, Qrow's not gonna show up until next volume. However, Dekusquad does know him which is going to make for some interesting interactions later on down the line. Sorry, guys. I love Qrow as much as you do, but the chapter was getting long enough as is. It was 10 pages in google docs, and I didn't want to push it any further.
> 
> 3: Which brings me to that point. I will be continuing on with the summer arcs into a third fic. There will be more moments with RWBY and 1-A, more lore dropping and all that good stuff. However, unlike previously, there will be a bigger time gap between volumes being released because I am human and need to take a break. So, I'll do that for the next month or so after posting chapter 26, get started over winter break and work at a steady pace until I'm either done, or get to the halfway point and finish up kamino. ETA for v3 is most likely some time in spring.
> 
> I might also do a special for Two Heroes, over winter break, I'm not sure about that one. But the events of that movie are canon to the AU, and yes, Ruby along with the rest of her team, do appear in it. I might talk about that more later.
> 
> 4: Now that's said, I've seen a lot of people theorize that Ruby -- either due to the way she's written in canon and in the fic -- is autistic/ADHD-coded. And I want to say that, as seen in the chapter, that you're actually pretty spot on with that one. In this crossover, Ruby does have ADHD. It was a toss-up between the two since she fits both so well, but in the end, I went with ADHD since I myself have ADHD and can write that without making mistakes. I don't want to make mistakes when it comes to portraying things like that, so it's safer to write what you know.   
> This won't be confirmed in-story until volume 3 during the training camp arc, though, so sorry about that. At least you guys can expect a nice moment with Ruby and Kaminari out of it though!
> 
> 5: There's a reason that Sun and Neptune have their cameo in this chapter. The original idea was to bring Sun in later during the story, during the provisional licensing exam and have him work with Ruby. But it didn't feel natural to me to have that be how he and Ruby meet. They're simply there to establish a prior relationship. That's all.
> 
> OKAY! I think that's all I needed to say out of the way, so...
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Twenty-Four: On My Own
> 
> “And that should be it.”  
> “Hold on, there’s twenty-one students in your class. You’re missing—”  
> “Yeah. As 1-A has an uneven amount of students, one student will have to take the exam on their own if we want to keep things fair between us and 1-B..."
> 
> “There is… someone… who might just be able to do it.”
> 
> “We’re… fighting the teachers?”
> 
> “Rose will be up against—"
> 
> “Good luck, Miss Rose.”


	24. On My Own

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of the practical exams has arrived, and Ruby Rose is in for quite the surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think that there are any warnings for this chapter, so we're all good, fam.
> 
> Also, a lot of people had so many good ideas about what Ruby would be facing during the practical exam, and I loved all of them. Especially the idea floating around that Shinsou would be Ruby's partner for the exam. I loved that one so much that I almost wished I did it. However, I had already written out this chapter and a majority of the next when the last update happened and there was no time to go back and change it.
> 
> I am happy with how things turned out, though. And there's a variety of reasons for that... I think you'll see it with the next chapter's title at the end of this one. ;)
> 
> I also mentioned back during the Sports Festival arc that there were two fights that I was really excited for in this fic: Ruby vs. Bakugo being one of them. The other is her practical exam... and I think you'll soon find out why.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

The final exams for the first years — hero course or not — were solidified and set. They had been for months. However, that left the practicals. They still needed to be planned and set… even with the exams themselves being in only a few days. For the students of the support course and the business course, those tests were fairly easy. However, for Shouta’s own hero course kids…

Things would have to be different. He had gone ahead and devised up a scheme of his own to accomplish just that. All he needed was approval. But when he brought it up at the staff meeting, Shouta got looks on all sides from his colleagues, even those who knew about it. Did Hizashi and Nemuri really think he was joking about this?

“With the connection between the Hero Killer Stain and the League of Villains,” said the principal as soon as the Erasure Hero spoke his mind, “it’s possible criminals everywhere will become much bolder.”

“It’d be best if we could start preparing for that before it happens. As a school, we should be taking every precaution. If fights against villains are gonna continue to intensify in the future, then having the kids train against robots ain’t practical,” brought up Snipe. “Originally we used ‘em to avoid complaints about people getting injured in the entrance exams, but they’re just not challenging enough.”

“We can ignore the complaints,” said Shouta. They had before, and they could again. “Let people say whatever they want.”

“This sounds like it could be problematic,” said Nemuri, not taking her narrowed eyes off of Shouta for a moment. She knew this was coming, why would she expect any less?

“I understand why you want to change the exam, but having students fight us?” asked Cementoss. “Even if they’re in teams of two, is that a good idea?”

“Yeah. I think it’s a bit unfair,” added Thirteen. Like he had told his students their first day of classes, life wasn’t always fair. But then again, these were kids… He thought about his pairing choice again. ...this was a test, they needed a chance to pass— 

“If we win too easily, we won’t be able to give them actual grades, yo,” Hizashi pointed out, bringing up that fact again, just as he had the night before.

“Of course, we would take that into consideration and give the students an advantage,” Snipe brought up. There was that, and Shouta supposed he had to take care of it. But still, he huffed out of frustration. They weren’t getting it.

Shouta turned to Nezu who was sitting beside him. “Principal, what are you thinking?”

“I believe I agree. We need to change the practical exam to reflect the current times,” Nezu said, much to Shouta’s relief as he leaned back in his seat. “How do we ensure the students aren’t put in life-threatening situations? The answer is simple. We must push them. We make sure that they’re as strong as possible.”

It was his word alone that seemed to shift the faculty’s minds. They still seemed reluctant to accept it, but there was nothing they could do about it now. They were moving forward with Shouta’s plan.

“Right, then let’s talk about the teams.” Shouta looked down at the notes he had made in conjunction with his student’s files. “First, Todoroki. He’s doing quite well generally speaking, but relies too much on brute force. And Yaoyorozu is an all-arounder, but lacks the ability to make spur-of-the-moment decisions and apply them. Therefore, I’ll erase their Quirks and take advantage of their weaknesses.

“Next, for Midoriya and Bakugo, I’m leaving them to you, All Might.” Shouta caught sight of All Might's eyes widened. “In this case, I didn’t pair the two of them up based on ability or class work. I went with relationships. I know you’ve got a soft spot for Midoriya. Please ensure that they learn something.”

He went over the rest of his students, pairing them off one by one and assigning them to a specific teacher. Each team had their reasons for being together and for going up against the teacher they were. He only hoped that they could overcome the obstacles that he had put in their way and learn from it.

“And that should be it,” Shouta concluded once he reached the bottom of the list. Twenty students paired off against teachers… He would have to find a way to give them an advantage, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to pass. He could deal with that later—

“Hold on,” said Hizashi, “there’s twenty-one students in your class. You’re missing—”

“Yeah.” He already knew what Hizashi was going to say. “As 1-A has an uneven amount of students, one student will have to take the exam on their own if we want to keep things fair between us and 1-B. And that student is Rose.” Teamwork didn’t seem to be a problem for her, so things should be fine on that front. Wasn’t like he had much of a choice on the matter, there was nothing else he could do about it.

“I suppose you have an idea as to which of us—” Nemuri began before cutting herself off. A beat of silence hung in the air and Shouta held back a groan as he figured out why. out of all the teachers that had volunteered to test Class 1-A, there were only ten. There was no one left to face off against Ruby Rose.

“Rose has a tendency to split people between friend or foe too easily,” Shouta said with a sigh. He was told about that after the Sports Festival. And while said person turned out to be a friend in the end, it could’ve gone a lot worse if Shinsou had actually been the villain that many people saw him to be. “Whomever tests her has to be someone that she trusts wholeheartedly. As much as it hurts, she needs to see that the world isn’t always so clear cut.”

And there was the issue at hand. Most of the teachers Rose wholeheartedly trusted were already assigned to teams. At this point, Shouta might have to ask for outside help. The thought of doing so — mostly due to the first person that popped into his mind — left a sour taste in his mouth. He looked up, catching sight of All Might looking somewhat uncomfortable. Well… more uncomfortable than he had been before. Just what was going through his head? ...A thought came to mind.

“All Might.” Shouta held back a smirk as the man somewhat jumped at the sound of his name. “You look like you have something you want to say.” There was a moment where the two held steady eye contact with each other. If there was someone, Shouta wanted their name. He needed a candidate for Rose; the exams were less than a week away. He was willing to grind it out of th an if need be.

“There is… someone…” All Might sighed, staring down at the table, “who might just be able to do it.”

Shouta’s smirk finally took shape. He might just have found the perfect candidate after all.

* * *

Before class 1-A knew it, the final exams had arrived. It was three gruelling days of written tests that had Ruby literally biting the end of her pencil, accidentally chomping her eraser clean off of it at one point. But soon, that was all over. The class changed into their hero costumes and headed off to the plaza where their practical exams would be held.

Ruby fidgeted with the end of her coak as she and the rest of her classmates approached the main testing center. Their teachers were waiting out front of it for them. ...wait, what?

Mr. Aizawa, Present Mic, Ms. Midnight, Thirteen, Ectoplasm, Snipe, Power Loader, Cementoss… just about all of the first year teachers were there.

Once his students were gathered around him, Aizawa began to speak. “Now then… let’s begin your practical exam. Remember, it’s possible to fail this final. if you wanna go to the camp, then don’t make any stupid mistakes.”

“Uh,” Jirou exchanged looks with some of her classmates. “Why are all the teachers here?” That’s exactly what Ruby wanted to know. Were they here to obverse them, like with entrance exams?

“I expect many of you have gathered information and believe you have some idea of what you’ll be facing today.” As he said that, Aizawa glanced over at Ruby. She shrugged a bit, putting on a nervous smile. To be fair, the knowledge of the exams' contents weren’t her own fault. She didn’t ask anyone… this time.

“We’re fighting those big ol’ metal robots!” exclaimed Kaminari, electricity already sparking at his fingertips.

“Fireworks! S’mores!”chanted Mina happily. “Here we come camp!” They were right to be excited. Going up against the bots would be easy as—

“Actually this year’s tests…” Mr. Aizawa’s scarf moved, shifting around until the white, mouse-like principal of U.A popped out of it, making Ruby jump, “will be completely different for various reasons.”

“Principal Nezu?!”

“You’re changing things?” said Yaoyorozu.

Principal Nezu grappled down from Mr. Aizawa’s shoulder, using the captured weapon the man wore to his advantage. “The tests now have a new focus. There will be Hero work, of course. But also teamwork and combat between actual people. So what does that mean for you? You students will be working together in pairs and your opponents will be one of our esteemed U.A. teachers! Isn’t that fabulous?”

Ruby stared at her principal. No. No it wasn’t.

“We’re… fighting the teachers?” said Ochako, so shocked that she struggled to even say it.

“Additionally, your partners and your opponents have already been chosen,” Mr. Aizawa nonchalantly explained even further. “They were determined at my discretion based on various factors, including fighting style, grades, and interpersonal relationships. For example, Yaoyorozu and Todoroki are a team. Against me. Then we have Midoriya paired with Bakugo.” Ruby heard both boys sharply gasp. “And their opponent is…”

A shadow from above blocked out the sun,, cutting off 1-A’s homeroom teacher. There was a very familiar laugh before someone jumped down from the building, landing light in front of Bakugo and Midoriya. They both went pale at the sight of their opponent arriving.

“I am here to fight!” said All Might, and the two boys grew pale.

“We’re up against All Might?!” both Midoriya and Bakugo said, eyes wide. Oh… Oh no.

“You’re going to have to work together, boys, if you want to win.” Ruby could feel the tension grow as Bakugo let out a small growl. He and Midoriya could not have been put in a worse match-up.

Aizawa went on to announce the teachers and the students that had been paired together… Cementoss vs. Sato and Kirishima… Ectoplasm vs. Tsuyu and Tokoyami… Power Loader, one of the teachers of the support course, vs. Iida and Ojiro… Mr. Aizawa vs. Yaoyorozu and Todoroki… Thirteen vs. Aoyama and Ochako… Principal Nezu vs Mina and Kaminari… Present Mic vs. Koda and Jirou… Snipe vs. Hagakure and Shoji… Midnight vs. Sero and Mineta… All Might vs. Midoriya and Bakugo.

And that was it. Ruby stood there for a moment. Wait...

“Um…” Ruby piped up, going through the teas once again in her head. “Mr. Aizawa?”

“Eleven stages have been prepared, and all the teams will begin simultaneously,” Mr. Aizawa said. Had he not heard her? Ruby slightly raised her hand.

“Sir?”

“The test guidelines will be explained by your respective opponents. None of the areas are outside of the school grounds, but let’s not waste anymore time and get going.”

“Um... Mr. Aizawa!” Ruby raised her hand even higher, contemplating jumping on her toes. Aizawa’s gaze drew itself to her, much to her relief. Ruby let her hand fall. “You didn't call my name.”

“Due to the odd amount of students in this class, Rose, you will be taking your practical exam alone.” Ruby’s face drained of color. Having to fight the teachers was bad enough but she had to do it alone?! “You'll be up against…” Mr. Aizawa glanced around at the group of teachers before letting out a huff. “...where is he?”

As if on cue, the building’s doors opened. Someone stepped out rather hurriedly in order to join the group of teachers waiting out front.

“My apologies, I was a bit caught up with something,” said a voice that Ruby recognized. She felt a pit drop into her stomach upon making eye contact with the green-suited man before her.

Aizawa sighed. “Rose will be up against Ozpin.”

Before Ruby could even think to ask anymore questions, the kids were dismissed. They split off, with the teams and their opponents heading towards buses parked nearby in order to head to their respective testing grounds. As she headed off, Ruby shared one last loo with her friends. She flashed them a smile purely to help encourage them to do their best, despite the fact that she herself felt like she was about to be sick.

The bus ride to the testing sight for Ruby was mostly in silence. She just stayed there, hands between her knees as she tried to calm her nerves.

_ This is just like training, _ she thought to herself on a loop. That’s what got her through the Sports Festival. Maybe it would work here, too. The fact that it was nothing more than a test helped solidify that thought.  _ This is just like training, this is just like training, this is just like training— _

“Is there something on your mind, Miss Rose?” Ruby snapped back to reality. Ozpin was sitting across from her, leaning against his extended cane. “You seem rather… lost in thought.” Ruby was quet, staring at the floor and unsure how to respond. “There’s no need to be nervous. I’ve seen you perform in combat scenarios before. You’ll be just fine.”

Ruby let out a hum. “I guess I’m just trying to… uh… wrap my head around this? I don't get how they expect us to fight you.” They were trained Pro Heroes, and the kids were… well, just kids. They were a bunch of fifteen and sixteen year olds. Ruby swallowed something building in her throat. “You’ll wipe the floor with us.”

“...Perhaps… but that all depends on your performance.” Ruby didn’t like his hesitation. The bus came to a stop, and the pair got off. “You and your classmates will have thirty minutes to either make your way out of the escape gate or—” Ozpin withdrew a thick pair of handcuffs from his coat’s pocket, spinning them around his finger, “—handcuff your opponent, in this case myself.”

“Is it really okay to run away?” She wasn’t so sure about it...

Ozpin nodded as he handed the cuffs to Ruby. “There’s nothing wrong with running. If you find yourself overwhelmed by your opponent, fleeing and calling for help is always an option. Ruby, you and three of your classmates should understand that more so than others.”

_ The Hero Killer…  _ They did have the choice to run… to go and get help. But they didn’t. ...Ruby still wouldn’t have changed any of the choices she made that night.

“If we do meet in battle, fighting is fine as well,” Ozpin continued. “Remember. It's either one of them that will allow you to pass the test.”

“...So it’s kind of like battle training then…?” Ruby asked. It sounded a lot like it, anyway.

Ozpin took a moment to contemplate this. “While there are multiple similarities between your training and your exam, you shouldn't think of it as such. For one, you’ll be up against highly trained fighters with years of experience compared to the few months your class has had. This exam is meant to simulate a true battle that you might face in the real world.” His gaze turned to stone. “I want you to think of me as an actual villain.”

“...So I have no choice but to run then.” He was far more advanced than her. There was no way that Ruby would have a chance like this—

“Not quite.” Ozpin withdrew something else from his pocket: a series of metal bands with what look like heavy magnets attached to them. “These are ultra-compressed weights. The support course designed these specifically for this exam. They’ll weigh us down with an extra fifty percent of our body weight, slowing our movement and draining our stamina.”

“So we’ll have a chance?” Ozpin nodded, relieving Ruby of a bit of her anxiety.

“Good luck, Miss Rose.” Ruby swallowed something down before returning her teacher’s nod.

She made her way to the center of the stage. The area selected for her reminded Ruby somewhat of the collapse zone of the USJ. Everything was made of stone from the pathways to the building around her… or at least what remained of them. It was like some sort of ancient ruin.

Ruby drew in a deep breath. All she had to do was to escape through the gate or get the handcuffs on Ozpin. Neither of them should be too hard. If Ruby remembered correctly, his Quirk let him create barriers. All she had to do was outrun those, and bam! Easy as pie! She would be at the training camp before she knew it.

Speakers hidden around the testing center buzzed to life.

“ _ Everyone in positions? Let’s begin the practical exam for U.A.'s Class 1-A! _ ” said a robotic announcer over the system. Ruby braced herself. “ _ Ready… GO! _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few people guessed it right, but Ruby's opponent for the practical exam will be Ozpin. I had such a hard time thinking about how to structure the final exams with the odd amount of students in the AU's version of 1-A. At one point, I was going to put them in groups of three, but that also puts 1-B at a disadvantage (like mentioned earlier) since they only have twenty students still.
> 
> So, Ruby's on her own for this one. There were suggestions for her to be with Shinsou, but I explained my reasons for that not happening prior to the chapter. I really wish I did it though. Love Shinsou. So much. ...I'm really excited for season 5...
> 
> Anyway! Yes! Ruby's going to be facing Ozpin! And I think I might have confused a few anime-only watchers with the kids taking their exams all at the same time. That's how it originally played out in the manga, while the anime had them go one at a time (most likely to showcase the kids' exams without drawing attention away from another group's? I dunno). I had ideas for both of them and couldn't decided between either or. With some input from my followers on tumblr, the manga version of events was decided upon.
> 
> Kind of glad about that honestly. It would just be mostly observation of fights like with the Sports Festival. I'm not sure how many people would've liked that.
> 
> And that's all I have to say. Which means...
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Twenty-Five: You Say Run
> 
> “I might have forgotten to mention that none of the teachers will be holding back. We’re giving it our all… to crush you.”
> 
> I can't run!
> 
> “Slipstream!”
> 
> “I’m sorry..."


	25. You Say Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby's practical exam couldn't get worse. Not only is she alone, but she's facing off against the lat person she expected. But when things get tough... the tough start running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, ladies, gentlemen and all my nonbinary peeps! We're finally here! It's time to get Ruby's final exam underway! As expected, that means this chapter does contain violence among other things... heavy hitting things. And a bit of angst, but that's all at the end.
> 
> That being said, as we're now hitting the last two chapters of the volume, I'm going to be setting up for future events in the series, starting to slowly build them up so once we dive into the climax of the Special Slow Burn, everything makes sense for why I'm doing what I'm doing. For here, it's only the last scene in the chapter and the same goes for the next one. Please just keep that in mind while reading. Thank you very much!
> 
> If anyone actually DOES want to play You Say Run during this chapter, my recommendation is to start it at this line "But it didn’t change things." I had timed it from that point while reading out loud, but everyone has different speeds they read at, so I apologize if things are a bit off.
> 
> Also, this chapter is posted on October 31, 2020. So, Happy Halloween to any of my readers who celebrate it, and Happy Birthday to Ruby Rose! You finally get your You Say Run moment!
> 
> Enjoy, everybody!

As soon as she heard the signal to start, Ruby started jogging towards the exit gate, unsure about whether or not to immediately start using her Quirk in case she needed to use it later. She didn’t want to run out of steam too soon. Besides, if she was quick enough, she could bypass Ozpin entirely and pass the exam in just a couple of minutes.

Or maybe not.

As Ruby got closer and closer to the gate, something bright and green caught the corner of her eye. Ruby had barely any time to register what it was before it slammed into her. She was set flying backwards with a yelp. She hit the ground hard, rolling across the mossy stone. Dazed from the rough landing, it took Ruby a second to get her bearings back in order.

She shook her head as she pushed herself up. Standing before her and barring her way was Ozpin — his cane in one hand and green threads of energy winding around the figures of the other.

_Pro Hero: Ozpin! His Quirk: Energy Field. Ozpin is capable of weaving together green energy from his fingertips in order to create different shapes and sizes, mostly for the use of creating barriers. He cannot have more than one field active at the same time, so he has to be careful when he’s using it!_

“I might have forgotten to mention that none of the teachers will be holding back,” said Ozpin as Ruby got back on her feet. “We’re giving it our all…” she could see a glint in her teacher’s eye, “to crush you.”

Well… this might be harder than she initially thought.

Ruby grit her teeth. She was going to pass, and he wasn’t going to stop her. She let out a shout, charging towards her teacher. All she needed to do was get by him. As soon as she did, she could put all her remaining stamina into running towards the gate.

Her plan would have worked if it weren't for Ozpin throwing another bubble in her way the moment she got close again. Ruby bounced back off of it with a yelp, tripping and landing on her back.

She got up slowly this time, the gears in her mind already at work. She didn’t want to fight Ozpin at all. Combining that wish wIth her Quirk, running to the gate was the best option. But right now, she needs to lose her opponent. Ruby turned, running deeper into the stage. Hopefully she could find another way around Ozpin—

“I’m afraid that’s not going to work!” she heard him shout. He sent threads of energy towards Ruby, the threads weaving quickly around each other as they flew past her. They formed a barrier in front of her. She hit it hard, bouncing back like a bird hitting glass as Ozpin came up behind her. Ruby groaned, rubbing her nose. She failed to notice the barrier being manipulated again. It came back towards Ozpin, hooking around Ruby’s cloak in the process. She was pulled toward her teacher before being pinned down to the ground.

Ozpin stepped up towards her.

“I must admit, you are putting up the worthwhile effort,” he said, placing the one of his extended cane on her chest. “It’s just not good enough.”

Ruby struggled, pulling and tugging on her cloak and trying to do anything to free it beneath the barrier. She didn’t want to fight… This man was supposed to be her teacher, someone she trusted to the fullest extent. ...were her classmates struggling this bad? But this was just training! It was just training… it was just…

Ozpin’s words from earlier echoed in her head. This wasn’t training at all. This was an exam. The teacher wasn't holding back, putting her skills to the test.

And apparently, her relationships, too. Ruby made it this far… everything that she worked for so far couldn't have just been for nothing. All that studying for the exam… was it going to be in vain? 

Ruby shook her head. No. No it wasn’t. She shut her eyes.. Something got twisted up in her heart a little as she grabbed Ozpin’s cane. She pushed it off of her, and plunged it into a gap in the stone. Using it to brace herself, Ruby gave a small shout as she swung her leg around, sweeping Ozpin’s legs out from underneath him as she fought against the pull of her cloak.

With his concentration broken by Ruby’s blow, Ozpin’s barrier fell. Ruby got up immediately, running away as fast as she could go in that moment. She glanced back at Ozpin as he stood. He acted quickly, throwing out another barrier to catch RUby before she could escape. She stood before she could hit it, the ends of the barrier keeping her from even trying to go around. Only one thing crossed her mind.

 _I can't run!_ He was putting up those barriers too fast — faster than she could move. Ruby couldn’t get close at all because of his Quirk. And that same Quirk could also keep her from running towards the exit. Crap!

Speakers hidden somewhere around the structure crackled to life. “ _This is an announcement. The first team to pass is Shouto Todoroki and Momo Yaoyorozu!_ ”

They were announcing these?! Ruby could hear faint screaming in the distance. She bit down her lip, turning around to face her teacher. Her body was shaking, but from what she wasn’t sure. She balled up her hands into fist in hopes of stopping it. There was little to no choice of making a clean getaway here without draining herself. She had to fight if she didn’t want to get caught on her way out. What came after… she would deal with that later.

Ruby dashed towards her teacher as he recalled the barrier. Fresh energy wove its way throughout Ozpin's fingers, forming a sphere in his palm. He threw the bubble at Ruby, but the girl acted quickly. She slid underneath the bubble, doing her best to dodge. Ozpin threw yet another one at her. This one, however, Ruby kicked back at him. She didn’t stick around to see what it had accomplished, whether it hit or not. Ruby ducked behind a nearby pillar. She could feel her heart pounding with adrenaline.

She needed to think… she needed to do something, or she'll end up depleting her stamina. Ruby would be helpless then.

She could make a break for it if she tried to use all her stamina to push her to her limit… But what if she got caught? She would be out of energy and out of luck. Her eyes fell to the cuffs. Maybe if she could get close enough…?

Ruby let out a yelp as a wide enough barrier came raking through the area, making some of the structure collapse. She rolled out of the way, getting thrown back towards her opponent by the barrier in the process before it dissipated.

Well, that was just great. Ruby looked behind her as she was pushed towards Ozpin. He deserted the barrier with a wave of his hand before Ruby could get too close to him, and by default, the gate. She is close now. If Ruby could only distract him long enough... Maybe disorient him?

Ruby rushed towards him in a burst of rose petals, only to be locked by another barrier before he could even get close. She tried to step around it, but the barrier dispersed before she could, with Ozpin closing in on her. Ruby was struck in the side by his cane and hit in the stomach with the other end almost immediately after.

She stumbled back a little before throwing up her arm to catch the cane again to stop it from doing any real damage. Ruby winced as it made contact. she silently wished that she had some sort of padding on her arms.

Letting her natural instinct take over, Ruby swung her free hand as a fist, batting the cane away with the other. She hit Ozpin square in the chin, making him reel back slightly. Ruby stood still.

Oh crap, she just hit her teacher.

Much to Ruby’s surprise, Ozpin chuckled to himself as he stood up straight again.

“Not too bad, I must say,” he told her. Much to Ruby’s confusion, he seemed like he was amused by the whole situation. “But you have to try a lot harder if you wish to get past me.”

Ozpin’s fingers crackled with energy as his swung his cane. He struck Ruby twice — once on her shoulder and again on her opposite arm in order to push her back. Ruby grit her teeth, bearing the brunt of the attack before rushing forward. She met her teacher head on, exchanging a few blows as she blocked the cane with her forearms. Ruby bit her lip. She ducked under the cane as it swung over her head. Taking this chance, Ruby bolted past Ozpin.

He sent a barrier her way as she ran along the stone path. Ruby was about to run dead into it and get caught again.A single thing from her training popped into her mind as she nearly slowed down to avoid another collision.

Use her surroundings to her advantage.

Biting her lip, Ruby ran along the fake wall and pushed off of it. She leaped over her teacher as he came up behind her, landing behind him instead. They were back where they started. Only now… now Ruby had an advantage.

She made a mad dash for the gate, meeting with one of Ozpin’s barriers once more. She bounced off of it, getting her bearings back again as her opponent came up from behind. Ruby spun on her heel. Her legs collided with his cane, and red rose petals met with green barriers as Ozpin repeatedly blocked her point of escape. Ruby was pushed back onto the stone walkway by another bubble.

“ _Katsuki Bakugo and Izuku Midoriya have passed the exam!_ ” Ruby’s eyes widened. Seriously?! They were done already?! She thought that it would take longer for them to get anything done…!

A moment hung thick and heavy in the air as the examinee and her examiner stared each other down. Ruby had to get to the gate. It seemed like her best chance. With his Quirk, Ozpin would most likely protect himself from the handcuffs, so really there was nothing else Ruby could do… but he was very adamant about keeping her away from the xit. If only he wasn’t alone. A helping hand would’ve been really good right about now.

Ruby made a break for the gate again.

“Wait right there, Rose!” A barrier came into Ruby’s view. Unable to stop herself in time, she simply ran up it, pushing off the energetic surface in a burst of rose petals. She went flying towards her teacher, flipping in the air to try and get herself right up. Ruby’s foot was met with a barrier, inches between her and Ozpin. Ruby kicked off of it, skidding across the stone to a halt as the barrier moved in further to block her path.

“ _Tsuyu Asui and Fumikage Tokoyami have passed the exam!_ ” That made three teams that passed so far. How much time was left? They only had thirty minutes… and Ruby wasn’t sure how much time had passed since the start of the exam.

Despite having been lost in thought for only a few short seconds, those few seconds proved to be disastrous. Ozpin took the chance to use his student’s distraction against her. Ruby only snapped back to reality when her opponent was mere inches from her. She let out a yelp, dodging the cane in a burst of rose petals.

She had to get out, and she had to get out _now_. Ruby dashed towards the gate, only to be blacked off by another barrier once again. She ran up and pushed off of it, flipping in the air and landing a little bit further away than she wanted to be. Ozpin was doing whatever he could trying to push her back further and further from her goal.

He was a lot tougher than he looked. Ruby had to give it everything she had if she just wanted to pass. Ozpin comes towards her again, and Ruby grits her teeth in an effort to meet him and get past him. She throws up her arms to meet with Ozpin’s assault again. He’s slowed down by the weights he’s wearing, and Ruby was relieved. She doesn't want to think about how bad it would be if he wasn’t wearing them.

Ruby countered against his assault by swinging her leg around, smacking the cane down towards the ground. Before she could make another move, a green bubble came up between her and Ozpin, shoving the student back. Ruby quickly found her footing, pushing off the bubble and landing up on a higher stone structure nearby.

She needed to think of something… there had to be a way for her to pass this! From below, Ozpin sent a bubble Ruby’s way. She dropped down from her platform, dodging it as it collided with the structure.

“ _Koji Koda and Kyoka Jirou have passed the exam!_ ” That made four. Ruby had to get moving, otherwise she’d be left behind.

She rushed towards her teacher as he took aim with his Quirk once again. Another bubble came towards Ruby. Tired of being pushed back by them, Ruby took the offensive. She kicked the bubble back in Ozpin’s direction. Ozpin braced himself against the ground, knocking it away with his cane as if it were nothing. 

Taking her chance, Ruby made another break for the gate. However, for once she wasn’t fast enough. Ozpin made another obstacle, catching Ruby just in time. She pushed off of the energetic green barrier, leaping back in order to try and disorient him. She only met with his cane again. Ozpin managed to get in a barrier that Ruby failed to notice until the last minute.

It grew between them, throwing Ruby back. She slammed into the side of the nearest stone structure with an audible thud, falling to the ground just as hard. Ruby groaned, feeling like she just got body slammed by Yang at her maximum output. She slowly pushed herself back up. A bright green barrier surrounded her like a cylinder. She was trapped against the structure.

“You fight fairly well, I’ll say that much,” she heard Ozpin say. “But perhaps your skills aren’t just as good as you think they are. You still have a lot more left to learn, Rose.” Ruby pushed herself back on her feet, pain ricocheting up her side from the sudden movement. Okay, yeah… that definitely was going to bruise...

“ _Tenya Iida and Mashirao Ojiro have passed the exam! Five minutes remaining for all teams!_ ” Ruby felt a pit drop into her stomach. Five minutes?! She had to do something and she had to do it now! Ruby braced herself against the barrier. There had to be something… She looked up. The top of the barrier was open. Ozpin left it open. She still had a chance. “ _Another announcement! Mezo Shoji and Toru Hagakure’s team have passed!_ ”

And that made six. More than half of the class had passed already. And Ruby was determined to pass just like them, too.

She jumped up, ignoring the pain in her side the best she could before grabbing the top of Ozpin’s barrier. She pulled herself up and over it with a boost from her Quirk. Before Ruby could hit the ground, She was met with yet another barrier. It sooned popped, allowing her to finally drop onto the stone. Ruby’s opponent came at her once again. She barely had enough time to catch Ozpin’s cane with her forearm; she tried to bring it down upon her. Ruby swiftly stood back up, pushing it away. She managed to land a few blocked kicks, only getting in one real blow of her own before—

“ _It appears that Yuga Aoyama’s and Ochako Uraraka’s team… have passed the exam!_ ” Ruby bit down on her lip. She was running out of time! She leapt back away from Ozpin. She needed to do something! Anything!

Ruby turned tail and ran in the opposite direction.

“Running away?” Ozpin’s voice echoed from behind her. “That’s not very heroic!” She couldn’t tell if he was being serious or if he was just taunting her now. Like Iida, it seems Ozpin took the villain role way too seriously…

But it didn’t change things. At this point, Ruby had very little choice. She needed to get past Ozpin and to the gate. But at this rate, she would run out of stamina before she ever got there. She was too far from the gate, and even going at maximum speed, she’d never make it in time. And Ozpin was recovering quickly. There was still a decent amount of space between them but—

Ruby’s eyes widened. This whole set up right now… It brought her mind back to a moment at the beginning of the semester, during the food fight she had found herself in, a fight between herself and her friends. She had been the only one standing then, far from her opponents with no chance of winning until… Ruby’s hand rested on the handcuffs attached to her belt. Maybe… Just maybe...

She bit her lip. She had tried before and failed. But at this rate, Ruby would fail either way if she didn’t try. Time was running out, and this new scheme had become her only option. Ruby was far enough away now that it could work… she hoped.

Ruby drew in a deep breath and detached the handcuffs from her belt. Tightening her grip on them, she got into position. Bracing herself against the stone, she let the power of Petal Burst flow throughout her body.

“Slipstream!” she cried out. Ruby rushed towards Ozpin as fast her legs could carry her. This was her last chance. 

Ozpin attempted to throw up a bubble-like barrier to try and catch his student, but Ruby’s mind was just as quick as her feet. She used it to her advantage, bouncing off the barrier and into the air. And that was just what she needed.

Ruby spun her body, racing like a rocket towards her opponent. She collided with her teacher head-on, slapping the cuffs down on the first thing she could get a hold of. However, this ended up bringing Ozpin down with her as she lost momentum.

Ruby fell, taking her opponent down with her. Both of them skidded across the mossy-stone ground. Silence fell in the testing area. She cracked open an eye. The cuff was secured around Ozpin’s wrist.

Ruby felt her breath hitch in her throat and her heart stop. Did she…? A voice echoed out from the hidden speakers: “ _Ruby Rose has passed the practical exam!_ ”

She… She did it. Ruby nearly felt tears brim her eyes, letting her head fall on her teacher’s shoulder. She did it. She managed to beat the clock.

“Congratulations, Miss Rose.” There was a moment as what exactly had happened hit Ruby full-force. Uh-oh. She had completely forgotten! Ruby was lying on top of her teacher as a result of her move. She let out a yelp, rolling off and scrambling back.

“Mr. Ozpin, I'm so sorry!” Ruby said hurriedly, popping back up onto her feet. “Are you okay?!”

Much to her relief, Ozpin simply laughed.

“I'm fine, he said, pushing himself back on his feet with the help of his cane. “It's going to take more than that to wear me out.” Ruby sighed. Well, at least she hadn't hurt him. She wouldn’t know what she would've done if she did.

“ _Minoru Mineta and Hanta Sero have passed the final exam!_ ” the speaker announced, “ _Time’s up! Your final exam is over!_ ” 

That was it. Time was up. The exam was over. And Ruby… Ruby had passed.

Relief finally hit her, taking over for the adrenaline that was in her system. Ruby’s legs shook until her knees gave out a moment later. She dropped, caught by her teacher before she hit the ground. Despite how tired she felt, Ruby was smiling. She passed. She passed her practical exam.

The remaining teams who were still out in the field were ushered by their teachers back to the testing center. Ruby nodded off on the drive back for a little while, her slipstream having drained her a little too much. Ozpin let her, waking Ruby with a hand on her shoulder once they returned.

The teachers were waiting out front of the building along with some of the students who had passed their exams earlier. Ruby yawned, rubbing her eye as she walked alongside Ozpin up to them. still a bit out of it, she didn’t realize who exactly was there until they said her name.

“Ruby!” called out Ochako and Tsuyu while Yaoyorozu, Iida and Midoriya shouted “Rose!”. Ruby could stop herself from grinning as he rushed up towards her friends. Her Quirk activated on it’s own as she made her way towards them in a burst of rose petals.

“We’re going to the training camp!” she cried out happily, colliding with one of her friends in the process.

“Rose!” Yaoyorozu let out a yelp as Ruby tackled her to the ground. It is the shorter of the two a second to figure out what happened. She chuckled.

“Sorry, Yaoyorozu!” But Yaoyorozu didn’t seem to mind. Iida and Tsuyu helped the girls back onto their feet. It was only then that Ruby got a good look at Midoriya, whom out of everyone looked worse for wear. “Whoa, Midoriya, what happened to you?”

“All Might slammed me into a bus,” Midoriya explained with a nervous laugh, though he winced as soon as he did. He sighed, burying a hand in his hair. “Honestly, you should see Kacchan…”

* * *

While the students recuperated and had their injuries tended to, the teachers made their way inside the main building. They had to grade the students’ practicals. Pass or not, they still needed to review their work to actually give them a set score.

Ozpin let out a sigh as he joined the rest of the staff, collapsing his cane.

If he were being honest, having to test young Ruby Rose made him feel like he had been thrown back in time at least twenty-five years. He had been a much younger hero and teacher then, having been entrusted with training and caring for a young U.A. student who had just passed her entrance exams. Having to face Ruby Rose was bitter… but the fact that she looked so much like her mother made things hurt on a different level. It brought all those memories of Ozpin training with her back to the surface.

The moment that the teachers stepped into the classroom meant that they were safely out of sight of their students. And the second that they did step into the room, both Yamada and Toshinori were wrapped up in Aizawa’s capture weapon faster than they could process. Ozpin had overheard what had happened during their own testing sessions. Knowing how protectie Aizawa was over his student, meant that his colleagues were about to get thoroughly chewed out.

 _Shouta Aizawa... he says that he doesn't care, but his actions speak louder than those words._ Ozpin made his way into the room, stepping around the scene that the three had made. However, before he could reach the rest of the staff, Ozpin felt something tug at his wrist and pull him back.

Shit.

“Not so fast,” said Aizawa, eyes narrowed. “Do you care to explain what exactly happened with Rose?” Ozpin let out a sigh. Right. He might have gone slightly overboard. Throwing Ruby into that pillar might have been uncalled for...

“Well…” How exactly was he supposed to say this without possibly making the bonds any tighter?

“You threw her into a stone wall.” Ozpin sighed, finally turning to face the group as Toshinori let out a harsh cough from surprise.

“You threw her into a stone wall?!” he exclaimed.

“Harsh,” Yamada added.

“It was a pillar,” Ozpin clarified, tugging at the capture weapon to try and loosen it, “and yes, I do admit that it was uncalled for.”

“All of it was uncalled for,” snapped Aizawa, the binds around the three teachers growing tighter as he tugged on them. “Nearly breaking Midoriya’s back, knocking Bakugo unconscious, making Jirou’s ears bleed, and what I can only describe as the corporate punishment you—”

Aizawa was cut off before he could finish. Someone's phone was sitting on one of the teacher’s desks and had chosen that moment to start going off. Ozpin sighed, recognizing the ringtone. It was his.

“Excuse me,” Ozpin said, prying Aizawa’s captured weapon off of him, “but I need to take this.”

“Oz—!” Toshinori started.

“It might be important.” Much to his friend’s dismay, Ozpin gathered up his phone and made his way to a corner of the room. Normally, Ozpin would keep his phone on him at all times, and that being his children. He had only left it behind due to the possibility of it being broken during the practical exams. 

Ozpin took a look on the screen. He has a few missed calls from Amber, and a voicemail from her that he would need to listen to later. But for now, he looked at the caller ID. Wait…

 _Qrow?_ That didn’t seem right… Yes, he was supposed to meet with Qrow and Amber to discuss prior business between the three of them following the first years’ practical exam, but… there was no real reason for Qrow to call him now, was there? He wasn’t late, so why…?

Ozpin answered, pressing the phone to his ear. “Branwen, is everything...?”

“ _I’m sorry,_ ” said the voice on the other end. Qrow had dropped his volume, sounding far too grim for Ozpin’s liking.

“Qrow?” There was silence on the other end. All Ozpin could make out was a variety of sounds that made his stomach drop. Shouting… an ambulance's siren… “Qrow, what happened?”

“ _I got a call from Amber, and I… I don’t know. She sounded so scared, but it cut her off before she could say anything… so I raced over… the door was destroyed._ ”

Ozpin felt his mouth go dry. “Amber and Oscar, are they—”

“ _She's in critical condition… She would be dead if I didn’t show up. But the kid…_ ” Qrow sucked in a breath. “ _I was too late. They had him knocked out when I got there. They escaped before I could... before I could stop them. I'm sorry._ ”

The phone clattered to the floor. There was a ringing in Ozpin’s ear as the world seemed to fade out around him. Qrow’s words repeated in his head on a loop. This had to have been a dream. There was no way that…

No. No, this wasn’t a dream. It was a nightmare. It was a terrible nightmare that made the ear twist around in his chest. The only difference between a ture nightmare is that there was no way Ozpin was waking up from this one. His children were really—

“Ozpin? Ozpin, can you hear me?” Kayama’s voice brought him back to reality. Ozpin’s knees unbuckled, and he nearly fell. It was only because of him extending his cane at the last second that he didn’t hit the floor. “Pine!”

Kayama’s hand was on his shoulder. “Are you alright? You didn't push yourself too far, did y—?”

“No... No, I didn't... It's just... personal matters.” Ozpin quickly grabbed his phone from off the ground, hanging up the call before straightening himself out. “I need to leave. I’m sure that you all can continue without me.”

He left before anyone could stop him, doing his best to keep it together. He allowed himself to wander, moving asfar away from the staff as he could. Ozpin only stopped once he was certain that no teacher or student was around.

As soon as he was sure he was alone, the dam broke. Ozpin crumbled against the wall, tears quickly filling his eyes and rapidly falling as he choked down sobs.

Amber knew the risks she had been taking when she allowed in her stepfather’s footsteps of becoming a Pro Hero, but she did it anyway. She knew everything about the grisly world that she lived in, but did what she could to combat it with vigor and passion. She had just become an adult last fall… She was too young, she was… most likely not going to…

And Oscar. He was barely seen in high school. He had nothing to do with any of this. He was just a child. Why would they… why the hell would they…?! He didn’t even want to be a Hero, and Ozpin wanted his son as far away from this mess as possible. So why…?! They already took their mother, so why did they have to tear them down even further?!

“Ozpin.”

Ozpin jumped when he felt someone’s hand on his shoulder. In a flash, he extended his cane, whipping around in order to defend himself if need be. Any rush of adrenaline faded when he saw who had startled him so much. Toshinori had followed him, and was now standing back with his hands raised as if he was surrendering.

“Don’t…” Ozpin lowered his cane, his free hand quickly trying to get rid of the mess that was on his face. “Don’t _do_ that.”

“You’re shaking.” Ozpin stood still for a moment, clenching his hand around his cane’s handle as if he could will himself to stop. “Oz, what happened?”

“I…” Thinking about it left a sour taste in his mouth, made his chest hurt and put his stomach in knots. He didn’t want to believe that it was real.

“I’m not asking you to tell me. What happened? You don’t get worked up like this unless—” Toshinori’s eyes widened, and Ozpin’s grip on his cane grew tighter. Dammit…. “Ozpin.”

And there it was. The dam finally broke. Opin dropped his cane’s handle, bracing himself on his friend’s shoulders instead. He stared at the ground as his vision began to blur. He was shaking like a leaf, clinging onto Toshinori’s hero costume like his life depended on it.

“Someone broke in,” Ozpin said, unable to stop himself from saying it at all. “Villains found out… they broke in…!” Silence fell again as Ozpin fought to recompose himself. His hands tightened around his fabric so hard that his knuckles were white. His children, they were—! They had been—!

“Are they—?”

Ozpin shook his head. “Amber's in intensive care, and they— he's gone. They took him away. They took my son from me…!”

His sobbing as the only thing that could be heard echoing throughout the halls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> >:)
> 
> That. That last thing is one of few things in the AU that has been only known between myself and two loyal confidants that have been working with me on this AU for quite a while now, and I'm glad that I finally get to start working on it.
> 
> That being said, I can assure everyone that Oscar is fine. ...ish. He's alive, and that's all that matters. We won't find out what happened to him for a while, but rest assured that he's going to be alright in the end. It's just gonna take a while to get there.
> 
> It's going to take a while for a lot of things to finally have their payoff, and this is one of them. Sorry, guys. Just gonna have to wait.
> 
> I should also mention Ozpin's reaction to Ruby initially hitting him has to do with the fact that he helped trained Summer. Ruby's more like her mother than she realizes, and that's what he was thinking about.
> 
> Next time!
> 
> Chapter Twenty-Six: The League Leader
> 
> “Never would have suspected that you were a member of the infamous League of Villains. They’re quite the talk of the town.”  
> “They're a worthwhile investment… If they can get their act together..."
> 
> “If your desire is to be realized, then we must increase our numbers. Now that we’re in the spotlight, our chance is at hand. I advise you to be more accepting. You must use them and the ideology Stain has left behind.”
> 
> “Guys, since we're off tomorrow and we finally finished exams, I have the best idea! Why doesn’t Class 1-A go shopping together?”  
> “Hey, yeah! We’ve never hung out as a class before. Huh? Rose?”  
> “Yes! Let’s all go! It’ll be a regular class trip!”
> 
> “Ruby? Ruby, what’s wrong?”  
> “L… L… Let go of him…!”


	26. The League Leader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The semester has finally come to an end, and with final exams out of the way, 1-A prepares for their summer training camp. However, something meant to be harmless changes the tides.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are here! We're finally here at the finale! I want to thank everyone who's been reading. Thank you so much for your support, along with all your comments and kudos. There was a rough patch that I fell into while writing, and your kind words managed to keep me going and help me get to this point. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
> 
> That being said, I still want to clarify that like the last chapter, this one does also start to set up and drop hints about plot that I have planned in the future. It's not exactly pretty, someone almost has a breakdown about it, but that's about it. There are reasons for why I do the things I do.
> 
> I do have more to say, but that's all at the end of the chapter.
> 
> Again, thank you to everyone and enjoy the finale!

This had to be one of the few times that Cinder felt like she wasn’t bothered by being at the bar. If anything, her current irritation fell solely on Tomura Shigaraki, who had been oddly silent ever since she walked in through the door. She had come here simply by request, and why that had made her curious.

However, she expected to be told why she had been asked to come here when she arrived. But it had been twenty minutes and one drink later, and still she knew little about why she was here. Every word has been spoken between her and Kurogiri, while Tomura was simply staring at a photo of a green-haired U.A. student.

Cinder impatiently tapped her finger against the counter. 

“You've been staring at that photo for an awfully long time,” she said a brow raised. ...it was for reasons like this that she had accomplished in the past week more than he had in the past month. “Do you wish to tell me why I was called here? I’m a very busy woman. Unlike you, I have work to do. Pawns to play around with. ...speaking of which, are you certain that you don’t need one of them? There’s a reason that we have our little… partnership after all.” Tomura said nothing, only grunting in response to all that she had said. He simply stared at the photo. “Tomura.”

He still said nothing to her.

“Are you curious, Tomura Shigaraki? About this boy?” asked Kurogiri. “Izuku Midoriya.” Midoriya, huh? The door’s bell rang before Tomura could answer.

Without being given the signal to, a middle aged man with already greying hair entered. He wore a suit and a scarf despite the July heat. Then again… Tomura had refused to rid himself of his long sleeves as well, so Cinder assumed that this person was just as crazy when it came to that.

“Shigaraki,” said the man, smirking upon seeing the woman in the bar. “And Ms. Fall. Always a pleasure to see you.” Cinder had no recollection of this man, or if she did, she didn’t bother to remember his name. “Never would have suspected that you were a member of the infamous League of Villains. They’re quite the talk of the town.”

“They're a worthwhile investment…” Cinder briefly cast an ice cold glare at Tomura, “if they can get their act together. However, I wouldn't call myself a member.” She would rather die than be called a member of the League of Villains.

“If you’re involved, then the rumors are true.” The man turned to Tomura. “You’re about to start something big.” Tomura crushed his fist around the picture, disintegrating it the moment all five fingers came in contact with it.

“And?” he said finally, shaking the dust from his fingers. “Who did you bring?” Cinder hummed, a brow raised. Bring?

The man simply chuckled. He stepped aside to allow the people he brought with him into the bar: A tall man with familiar turquoise eyes and burnt patches of skin stapled onto his body… a blonde high school girl with gleaming gold eyes… and a short woman just about Tomura’s age with long, brown white and pink hair, heterochromatic eyes and an umbrella in hand.

Ah. So that’s why she was here. Possible recruitment for the rejects… which was highly likely that Tomura will throw out the better pieces in this game.

“So it’s really you, huh? I’ve seen you in the pictures,” said the burnt man. “But I gotta say, you’re way grosser in person.”

Cinder smirked. She already liked this one.

“Wow, it’s the weird hand guy!” said the blonde girl, a little too excited for Cinder’s liking, but still amused her with her nickname for Tomura. “You’re friends with my hero, Stain, right? Cool! Let me join the league! I wanna be in your group!” The third member in the group was silent, simply glaring at Tomura for whatever personal reason she had. Tomura stared back.

“...Kurogiri, get rid of these three.” He turned away from them. “I can already tell they’re exactly the kind of trash I hate. A brat, a guy with no manners and a wannabe silent protagonist.”

“Now, now, Tomura Shigaraki. They came all this way, the least we can do is hear them out. Give them a chance,” said Kurogiri, trying to calm his ward. “Besides, this broker is respected in the underworld. They’re bound to be valuable assets.”

“Like ‘em or not, you still owe me a finder's fee,” the broker then smirked, “In cash.” Cash? Cinder let out a huff.

“I’ll take care of it,” she said. She had enough funds from other various jobs that she had taken, including her latest. The yakuza had paid incredibly well for what she was offering. And while Tomura might not have wanted them, the kinds of pawns before her looked useful to both her and her schemes.

The broker smirked. “I suppose I could introduce the three of ‘em before I go.” He gestured to the blonde girl. “This one looks like an adorable high school girl right? She's actually the suspect in a series of deaths where the victims all bled out. So far, her name and face have been kept out of the media.” 

“Toga here. Himiko Toga!” said the blonde girl far too perky for Cinder’s liking. “Life is too hard. I just want to make it easier to live in this dumb world. I wanna be Mr. Stainy! I wanna kill Mr. Stainy! C’mon, handy-man, please let me join your League of Villains!”

“You gotta be kidding me,” said Tomura, eyes slightly wide from behind the hideous hand he wore to hide his face. “Is she crazy?”

“Well, she can hold a conversation. For the most part, at least,” said the broker with a shrug. “C’mon, she could be useful.”

Tomura’s eyes fell on the shorter woman, who had been glaring at him the whole time. “And what about her? The short one.”

“She doesn’t talk. However, I believe you’re somewhat acquainted with her former partner.” The bror smirked. “Does the name Roman Torchwick ring a bell?”

Cinder stood up a little straighter. Roman? He had been convicted in a heartbeat a few months ago. Had her insistence that he took part in Tomura’s first attack on U.A. have some repercussions? Or rather, brought a new pawn to her doorstep. ...a pawn that looked familiar. She was Roman’s partner, wasn’t she?

“That Quirkless loser?” said Tomura, only having negative associations with the name. The woman grit her teeth, clutching the umbrella she had in hand a little tighter.

“I wouldn’t say that around her. Her name’s Neopolitan. All his assets passed down to her when he was arrested. And besides, unlike him, she actually has a Quirk all her own and is a master escape artist.” The woman smirked at the description she had been given. “There’s a reason cops haven’t been able to track her down.”

Neopolitan…? So she  _ was _ Roman’s partner. Cinder briefly recalled seeing someone by his side the few times they interacted. And if her recollections were right, he was fiercely protective of her. ...she was willing to bet that the feeling was mutual. Oh, the turmoil that would be building up inside of her… She might be the easiest out of the group to make a pawn.

“And this guy—” the broker gestured over to the young man who clearly had made a statement earlier. He hasn't committed any flash crimes, but he’s taken Stain’s ideology to heart.”

“I don't like this. Is your group really dedicated to the Hero Killer’s mission?” Unlike the other two, the man’s expression didn’t change. If anything, it mirrored Cinder’s own. “I can’t imagine you are if you’re gonna let this little psycho join you.” Toga only giggled at that.

“Grow up,” Tomura hissed. Oh, the irony in him saying that… “She may be a psycho but at least she knows how to introduce herself to people. Don’t just stare. What’s your name?”

“Right now, I’m goin’ by Dabi.”

“No, I want to know your real name.”

“I’ll tell you when you need to know it.” Oh, now Cinder  _ really _ liked him. “In any case, my new purpose is to carry out the Hero Killer’s will.”

“That wasn’t what I asked you, patchwork. Jeez, Why is everyone so hung up on Stain? He’s all I ever hear about.” Tomura slowly stood up. Cinder took a small step back away from the bar. She could feel the anger radiating off of Tomura at this moment. As much as she disregarded him as nothing more than a pawn and a brat, Cinder knew how far she could push him.

And these three individuals had just pushed the man over the edge.

“No, don’t do it—” Kurogiri said, trying a little too late to calm Tomura down.

“Every damn day. It’s really pissing me off. You three are done!” Tomura went to grab the group, pissing him off, bare hands ready to turn them all into dust. Dabi, Neopolitan and Toga responded in kind, with the former preparing his own Quirk and the latter drawing a knife. The shortest of the three took out a blade from the umbrella she held. 

Before the bloodbath could begin, Kurogiri created enough warp gates to catch their hands and keep them from hitting on another.

“Please calm yourself, Tomura Shigaraki,” said Kurogiri. “If your desire is to be realized, then we must increase our numbers. Now that we’re in the spotlight, our chance is at hand.” His mist-like head left his body for a moment, elongated neck wrap around Shigaraki’s shoulder. “I advise you to be more accepting. You must use them and the ideology Stain has left behind.” There was a beat. Tomura pulled back with a huff, as did the others now that the threat was out of the way. The warp gates closed. 

“I’m outta here,” said Tomura, already pushing past the others in order to get to the door.

“Where are you off to?” asked the broker.

“Shut up!” He marched out of the bar, slamming the door behind him. Silence fell thick and heavy in the room. After a moment, Kurogiri retracts his head, pulling it back onto his shoulders.

“I try to make it a point not to complain about a client, but he’s too young. And far too immature.”

“What else would you expect from a brat who's never been told ‘no’?” Cinder told him. She was certain that his so-called ‘Master’ was a bit too lientiant on him in terms of raising the child. ...or rather Kurogiri had been. Whichever on it was, but considering how the latter treated him… she wouldn’t be surprised.

“Really thought he was gonna kill us for a sec!” said Toga, not sounding like someone who had been literal inches from death.

“That guy makes me wanna vomit,” mused Dabi aloud. Neopolitan simply sheathed her blade with a silent huff.

Kurogiri sighed. “Shall we get back to you about recruitment at a later date? I believe our leader knows what he has to do. That’s why he left as he did.”

“Are you sure about that?” said Cinder, arching a brow. “Or do you not remember what happened in Hosu?” The man’s mist faltered for a moment as yellow eyes glanced over at her.

“There’s a difference between then and now. He understands his circumstances. All Might, then the Hero Killer— He’s been humbled twice very recently. I’m sure he will bring you an answer. One that will satisfy both of you, as well as his own desires.”

Cinder let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Just stick around for now. I’m willing to bet we’ll find some use for you until the brat makes up his mind.”

She didn’t know why. If he needed pawns… then her services were always open to him, as per her own given orders. Her own group and the League of Villains were unwilling partners for a reason, after all…

If this was going to work, Tomura needed to get that and so much more through his thick skull.

* * *

Following their practical exams, Class 1-A was… well, the energy in their classroom varied the day after finals had finished up. Those who passed were elated about it. They were the ones who were going to go to the summer training camp. Those who failed…

When Ruby walked into class that morning, she wasn’t surprised that Sato, Kirishima, Kaminari and Mina were all sullen and brooding. Mina was actually tearing up a little. Out of everyone in the class, they had been the one ones whose passings weren’t announced during the practical. They knowingly had failed.

“E-Everyone…” said Mina with a sniff, rubbing at her teary eyes. “I’m looking forward to hearing all you stories of how fun camp was.”

“Maybe they’ll end up letting you go!” said Midoriya, trying to cheer his classmates up. “There might be a last minute twist or somethin’.”

Sero put a hand on Midoriya’s shoulder. “Stop, Midoriya. By saying that out loud, you’re just jinxing them.”

“They said whoever failed the exams would have to skip training camp and live in super school hell,” Kaminari said with a groan. “We didn’t pass the practicals, so we’re doomed. Don’t you get it, Midoriya?!” He turned, stabbing Midoriya in the eye with his fingers. “Or did All Might knock all the brains outta you?!”

“Kaminari!” Ruby exclaimed before pulling him back by the fabric of his shirt.

“Ease up, Kaminari,” said Sero as Kaminari jerked himself out of Ruby’s grasp. “I’m not sure I’ll get to go, either. Our team only passed thanks to Mineta. I got knocked out, and since we don’t know how they’re scoring stuff, I might have flunked.” Kaminari let out a sigh, crossing his arms and pouting.

“At least bring us back lots of camp souvenirs, please?!” he asked. Ruby nodded. She could keep that promise, so long as there was no more eye stabbing.

The classroom’s door quickly slid open, with the class’s teacher having arrived for the day.

“Once the bell rings you should be in your seats.” said Mr. Aizawa, eyes narrowed behind dark bangs. The class scrambled to their desks, everyone falling silent once they’re finally there. Their teacher let out a sigh as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him.“Morning. Unfortunately, there are a few of you who did it pass your final exams. So, when it comes to the training camp in the woods…” he grinned. “Everyone is going!”

Ruby’s eyes widened. Did he really just say that?! No, he did. He definitely said that! Midoriya was right: there had been a last minute twist after all! Ruby grinned.

“We really get to go to camp?!” exclaimed Kirishima.

“Seriously?!” cried out Mina.

“Yeah,” said Mr. Aizawa. “The good news is that no one bombed the written exam. Five failed the practical badly. Two teams, of course, and then Sero failed as well.”

“Aw!” Sero face palmed himself as he slumped back in his chair. “Crap, I knew it. Mineta made it to the gate, but I didn’t do near enough to pass…”

Hold on a second.

“Um, Mr. Aizawa?” Ruby raised her hand, standing up as she did so. “I thought that everyone who didn't pass the practical had to go to summer school. I mean, I’m glad that everyone gets to go but it’s just kind of confusing since you told us… well… the complete opposite.”

“Hm. Allow me to explain,” said Aizawa while Ruby sat back down. “For the practical battles, the teachers made sure to leave a way for the students to win. Otherwise, you never would have stood a chance. We were interested in observing how you each worked together and approached the task at hand.”

...Thinking back to her practical exam, there were a lot of mistakes that Ozpin made. Giving Ruby openings, not completely encasing her in a bubble… all of them now made sense. He was giving Ruby a chance to win… She thought that some of them were obvious. Even a Pro like him could catch them at a moment’s notice...speaking of which, where was he? Ruby hadn’t seen him at all since the practical exams… She usually saw him somewhere in the halls before homeroom began, but…

“But didn’t you promise that the teachers wouldn't be holding back?” asked Ojiro, bringing Ruby back to the present.

“That was just to get you on edge. Besides, the training camp will focus on building your strength. Those who failed need these lessons the most. We were never going to separate you,” Mr. Aizawa widely grinned. “That was just a logical deception we used.”

Ruby blinked. A logical deception?

“He tricked us all. I should have expected this,” said Iida while the five students who failed the final exams celebrated the fact that they were going to the camp. He shot up out of his seat. “Mr. Aizawa this is the second time you’ve lied to us. Aren’t you afraid we’ll lose faith in you?!”

“Uh, a little blunt there, Tenya,” said Ochako, trying to ease him back down.

“That’s a good point. I’ll consider it. But I wasn’t lying to you about everything,” said Mr. Aizawa once Iida finally sat back down. “Failure is failure. We’ve prepared extra lessons for the five of you. Frankly, they’ll be far tougher than what you’d face at summer school.” Ruby let out a sigh, relieved that she managed to pass at the last minute. No extra lessons for her.

With the knowledge that they were all going to be going to the training camp, a sense of relief settled over Class 1-A. Even with the mistakes they had made during their practical exam, they were all going to be together this summer. Even if it was for a short amount of time (according to Iida, they would be at the training camp for only a week), Ruby couldn’t be more happier.

The entire class would get their chance to bond and come a bit closer together without being in any sort of immediate danger. And it was all that the class could talk about at the end of the day.

“I've gotta find a bigger suitcase,” mused Midoriya, having earlier made a list of everything that he needed to bring with him to the camp.

“Yeah, I don't even have a bathing suit,” added Kaminari. Ruby raised a brow.

“Are we even going to need one?” she asked. While it was camp, it was also designed to help them improve their Quirks. Unless there was a swimming part to the training… may be some sort of endurance test…?

“You never know. I still need to buy some stuff, either way.”

“Like night vision goggles!” chimed in Mineta. Ruby let out a huff, making up her mind right then and there to sleep with a lock while they were at the camp. Be it a tent or a cabin, there were going to be locks somewhere. And if the girls are rooming together, she was pretty that they would agree.

“Guys, since we're off tomorrow and we finally finished exams, I have the best idea!” said Hagakure, jumping on her toes. “Why doesn’t Class 1-A go shopping together?” There was a wave of positive reactions for the class, and Ruby was smiling when she heard a majority of the class agree to that idea.

“Hey, yeah! We’ve never hung out as a class before,” pointed out Kaminari, getting a nod from Ochako to help solidify what he said. From beside him Ruby was practically buzzing, feeling the petals of her Quirk prick her skin. “Huh? Rose?”

“Yes! Let’s all go!” exclaimed Ruby, letting out a small burst of petals as she jumped up on her toes. “It’ll be a regular class trip!”

Kaminari smirked a little. “You’re really excited.”

“Oh yeah, didn’t you have that plan earlier in the year for something like this?” Ochako asked. Ruby enthusiastically nodded. She didn’t think that her class-bonding schemes would get put into motion like this, but she’s just glad that things just keep working out like it. Everyone was going to be together!

Kirishima turned to Bakugo as he left. “Bakugo! See you there, right?” 

“I can’t think of anything more annoying,” Bakugo said with a huff before disappearing out the door. Kirishima let out a sigh, sounding a bit disappointed in the rejection. Midoriya turned to Todoroki as the latter started to pack up his things.

“Will you come, Todoroki?” he asked, a small spark of hope in his eyes.

Todoroki shook his head. “I visit my mom on days off.”

“Tell her hi for us,” Ruby said. Todoroki nodded, promising that he would. She was glad to hear that he was visiting his mother. Especially after everything that she had learned and witnessed during the Sports Festival, it felt like a good thing for him. To help him heal from the wounds that were left behind from his childhood.

Well… it might not have been everyone, but it was more than Ruby could ask for.

* * *

The place that Class 1-A chose to spend their day off couldn’t have been a better choice. At Mina’s suggestion, they headed to the Kiyashi Ward Shopping Mall. There were a variety of different stores, almost all of them top of the line and carrying designs for people of all different body types. There were things for just about everyone. The logistics of it all were astounding.

At least, according to what Midoriya was muttering to him, in amazement of the open-air shopping center the moment that they arrived.

“You’re going to scare the children,” said Tokoyami, making Midoriya jump when he put a hand on his shoulder to grab his attention. “Stop.”

As the kids delved in further, a few of the mall's patrons recognized them from their appearances at the Sports Festival. They called out, cheering for them a little. Ruby felt her face go red. How did they still remember any of that?

“I wanna track down a new duffle bag to bring to summer training…” muttered Jirou aloud once the embarrassment of being recognized and called out on it faded away.

“Oh, yeah?” asked Yaoyorozu. Jirou noded. “Maybe the two of us should browse together.”

Kaminari glanced at his feet, shuffling in his sneakers. “Guess I should probably buy some outdoorsy shoes for this thing…”

“Oh, that’s smart,” commented Hagakure, “Me, too!”

“The guide said your shoes should already be broken in, though,” Iida reminded the two. In the next second, Ruby could see her fellow speedster’s gears turning. “But, wait. Perhaps it’s a mistake not to factor utility into the equation.”

“Does it really matter?” said Ruby, hands on her hips. “I can break in any new shoes for you guys pretty easily.” It was pretty easy for her when it came to normal shoes. Just had to run a bit with her Quirk and—

Kaminari brought up his hands in a mock-surrender. “I’m good.”

Oh. Okay… but still, the conversation went on. Everyone seemed to have a different list of supplies that they needed for the camping trip. It was because of that fact that Kirishima brought up the idea of splitting up. Once they were done getting what they needed, they would meet back up again. It sounded like a good idea, and the class agreed to it. Everyone soon headed off into different groups going to do different things. Well… almost all of them.

“Looks like it’s just us left…” mused Midoriya.

“Yeah,” said Ochako with a short nod.

Midoriya turned to the two girls. “So, what are you gonna shop for today? I wanna find a few heavier wrist weights so I can up my training.”

“I got a list,” Ruby said, pulling said paper out of her pocket. She looked down at the contents of it. “Heh… we might be walking around for a while.”

“I mostly just need bug spray,” said Ochako. She looked over at her friends. There was a beat before her face slowly turned pinker than usual. She turned on her heel and bolted in the other direction. “Yep. Gotta keep those pests away!”

“Do you mean me?!” Midoriya called out as she ran off. Ruby looked between Ochako and Midoriya. Just what was…? After a brief moment, Ruby ran after Ochako.

“Ochako!” Ruby called out. She picked up her pace to catch up with her friend, teetering on the edge of using her Quirk until she finally caught up. Ochako let out a loud squeak as Ruby placed a hand on her shoulder to stop herself. “Hey… you okay?”

“Oh, yeah! Fine! Just fine! Just uh…” Ochako said quickly, her words drifting away into a nervous giggle. “Yeah.” The pair started walking together making it up to the all’s second floor before the conversation picked up again. “I just… wanted to walk around alone, ya know. Didn’t want to drag you guys everywhere.”

“I already kind of have to go everywhere.” It was like Ruby said earlier, she was going to be wandering around for awhile. “Do you mind if we stick together?”

“Not at all.” Okay, that was good least. Ruby pulled out her list again, having shoved it in her pocket when she went chasing after Ochako.

“We can grab the bug spray you need first if you want. Can never have too much of that stuff. I hate mosquitoes. Their bites drive me crazy—” Out of the corner of her eye, Ruby caught Ochako staring at her piece of paper. “...what is it?”

“That’s a lot for one person to get. Do you mind if I…?” Ruby handed her list over for her to see. Ochako’s eyes widened when she read it. “Is this all for the training camp?”

“Nah, Yang wanted me to grab a few things for her while we’re here,” Ruby said with a shrug. She glanced over at Ochako when she handed the list back. There was definitely something up. She had run ff without much explanation. “You sure that you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” Ochako replied, “why wouldn’t I be?”

“You turned red and ran off away from Midoriya for one.” Upon hearing that, Ochako’s face started to turn pink again. “Kind of like that. ...is something wrong?” A moment hung in the air. Ochako wrapped her arms around herself as he stared at the floor.

“You don’t think…” One of Ochako’s hands unwound itself from her body and began fidgeting with her hair. “I like Deku, do you?” Ruby blinked. Liked Midoriya? Why would she ask that?

“Yeah. We’re all friends, right? We have to like each other,” Ruby thought about what she just said for a brief moment. “...unless you’re Bakugo.” She still didn’t understand whatever was going on between him and Midoriya. Or if that could even be called friendship.

“No, I mean…” Ochako bit her lip, “like, like him.” ...wait...

“What?!” That’s what Ochako had been so worried about?! “You guys act weird around each other, but… I just think Midoriya has trouble talking to cute girls. And girls in general, especially when he doesn’t know them well. He did act pretty weird on the first day of school, until I brought up heroes, anyway.” Ruby always thought that was because he had bumped into her and knocked her over. She glanced over at Ochako. “Why? Do you like him?”

Ochako’s blush turned darker. “What?! Of course I like him! It’s like you said, we’re friends!”

“But do you like, like him?” Ruby asked.

“I…” Ochako groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “I don’t know. Aoyama brought it up during our final exams, and now I can’t get that thought out of my head.”

“Ignore Aoyama.” Aoyama could be blunt, that was a fact. She wasn't particularly close to him, though, so Ruby couldn’t tell if he was just messing with Ochako or not. Still, better safe than sorry. “Just follow your heart. What does your heart say?

“My heart is very confused.” Ochako’s shoulders slumped. “I mean, Deku’s amazing because he tries so hard to be a hero and I admire that a lot. But it’s not like I like- _ like _ him! He’s my friend! I know that much…”

Ruby hummed. “Then I wouldn’t worry about it. We’re still just in high school. We have all the time in the world to figure out love and all that stuff. But right now, let’s go have some fun.”

“Right… but…” Ochako groaned, dragging her hands down her face. “I really wish I didn’t run away like that when I got so flustered.” The girls came to a stop, with Ochako leaning on the railing that kept patros on the second floor from falling down to the first. “I bet Deku was really confused by that. I feel bad leaving him behind.”

“We could always find him so you could apologize,” Ruby suggested.

“Can we?” Ruby nodded.

Together, the two girls headed downstairs. If they were right, then i doriya should have been somewhere nearby where they were supposed to meet… he wasn’t there for much, after all. However, to their surprise, he was gone. It didn’t take so long to find him though. He was sitting on one of the beaches nearby.

And that’s where they stopped. The sight they came across… Midoriya wasn’t alone. Sitting beside him was a young man wearing all black. HIs face was mostly obscured by a hood, but that didn’t seem to be much of a problem.

The problem was that he had most of his hand wrapped around Midoriya’s throat, with only one finger hovering above the surface of his skin.

“Uh… Deku?” said Ochako, her voice small and unsure. Ruby stared at the green-haired boy. There were tears brimming his eyes that only seemed to grow thicker when he spotted the two girls. “Is that a friend?”

“Izuku?” Ruby called out, her voice turning soft on the last syllable. She stared at the man sitting next to Midoriya. That wasn’t right… the way that they were, they couldn't have been friends…

The man turned to look at the girls. Those eyes… Ruby felt her heart start pounding, something twisting around inside of her chest trying to suffocate her… she reached out and grabbed Ochako’s wrist before she could take a step closer.

“Ruby?” Ruby heard Ochako say on the edge of her senses. “Ruby, what’s wrong?”

Ruby couldn’t find her answer. It was those eyes that kept her from answering. Bright red, vicious eyes that were filled with nothing but anger and hatred. It was hard for her to forget those eyes when they had been all over the news the day after she had seen them in person. 

Tomura Shigaraki.

“L…” Ruby squeezed Ochako’s wrist. “L… Let go of him…!” Even with how tightly she was holding her friend, trying to stabilize herself, Ruby’s hands shook. Ochako grabbed hers, tugging Ruby close. She went to take a step forward.

Midoriya sharply gasped. “This is nothing, everything’s fine! Stay back! No closer!”

And like that, Shigaraki withdrew his hands, letting Midoriya go. He put on a friendly face, smiling like nothing had happened at all. Midoriya coughed and sputtered, taking in as much air as he could, rubbing his throat.

“Oh, you're here with friends? I didn't know. Sorry about that.” said Shigaraki, voice as raspy as Ruby remembered it being back at the USJ. He said something else to Midoriya, but his voice was too low for Ruby to take it out that it was. Shigaraki walked away, hands stuffed into his hoodie’s pockets.

As he passed by Ruby, his arm collided with her shoulder, snapping her from stupor. He looked down at her, and her up at him. Silver eyes widened while red narrowed. There was something else in that brief moment. Ruby’s breath hitched in her throat, and her heart started beating a little faster. There was something else that Ruby can’t quite remember the reason for… but those eyes…

She felt like she had seen them before… long before the USJ. 

And then, the League’s leader walked away like nothing happened. Ruby stood there, the world around her falling deaf on her senses until she felt Ochako slip out of his grasp. She ran over to Midoriya. Ruby stood still, blinking for a few moments as she tried to regain her lost senses, and hopefully calm herself down. She could still feel her heart beating, trying to pace her breathing...

“Deku!” Ochako rushed over to their friend's side. Unsure what to do herself, Ruby slowly backed up towards Midoriya, who looked up at Shigaraki with a fierce look.

“Hold on,” he said through his teeth, “Shigaraki.”

So it was him.

“Shigaraki?” Ochako repeated, her eyes going wide. Midoriya ignored her. The villain stopped, glancing over his shoulder at the teenaers.

“I have a question too. What is All for One after?” All for… One…? That name… It made Ruby’s breath hitch in her throat. Why? What was with that name? She never heard it before now so why—?!

“...who knows, really,” Shigaraki replied with nothing more than a simple shrug. “But here’s a little word of advice, friend. Be careful. The next time we meet, I’ll likely have to kill you.”

He then walked away, vanishing into the crowd.

Ochako immediately reported the incident. The mall was shut down as soon as the authorities arrived. The heroes and police in the area conducted a massive sweep of the place, but they couldn’t find Shigaraki anywhere. Later that day, the two girls gave their statements to the police, while Midoriya was taken to the station. due to his direct involvement. Ruby was picked up from the mall by her father, having called him after the police let her go.

She never felt so relieved to see his car in her life.

When she opened the car door, there was a bark there to greet her. Zwei was sitting in the backseat, and had jumped up to the space between the two in the front. Ruby smiled a bit upon seeing him, wondering if she had caught her father on his way home from the agency. She slid in the passenger seat next to Taiyang, who was oddly quiet.

The moment she shut the door, Ruby found out why.

Taiyang took his daughter by the shoulders, pulling her in as close as he possibly could. A moment lingered in the air before Ruby returned it, burying her face in his shirt, letting all the tension that had unexplainably built up from that one encounter alone. He shuddered, drawing in steady breaths under her father’s instruction.

They stayed like that for a while, and Ruby felt a few tears stream down her cheeks. She didn’t know what time it was when they finally pulled away from each other. Zwei nudged Ruby’s shoulder with his nose, getting a gentle pet in return. He nuzzled against her hand as Taiyang finally stared the car. Things were quiet as they pulled away from the mall. The relief in the air brought Ruby peace.

Things were silent for a few minutes as Ruby went over the encounter in her mind. Her thoughts then and now… that puzzle piece that was missing. Just what…? And those eyes… where had she seen them before? It wasn’t the USJ. He had his face covered then, so when…?

“Dad?” Ruby asked softly, breaking the quiet that had built up. She heard her father hum. “I… The first time I ever had a run-in with a villain before… that was back in February, right? That night with the robbery…”

There was a beat. Taiyang stared at the dashboard, hands tightening around the steering wheel while Ruby waited patiently for his answer. She didn’t like his silence.

“Yeah,” her father said after what felt like forever, eyes focused on the road ahead. Ruby let out a small breath she didn’t know she had been holding. “Yeah, it was. Why do you ask?”

“...no real reason…” Ruby leaned back against her seat and glanced out the car’s window. “Just thinkin’...” It was probably just her mind playing tricks on her. After all, when would Ruby have ever seen Shigaraki before the USJ attack? Yeah… Yeah, that was it… their only prior encounter had been during the USJ. That was it.

From the entrance exams to the fitness tests, to combat training and the attack by the League of Villains… The Sports Festival, the Hosu Incident and final exams… A lot has happened in the past six months, but finally the first semester at U.A. was over. Summer was about to begin.

Though, that didn’t mean that the students of the first year hero course could just ignore their training. They all needed to be prepared for whatever evil was waiting for them around the next corner. Being ready for any situation would help them set their path to become great heroes. They had to keep working hard to achieve their goals. 

Little did Ruby know that the villains had the same thoughts in mind. And just like her, they weren’t alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we are! That's the end of volume 2. I want to thank everyone again for being on this ride with me. Before this ends, I do have somethings that I want to clarify
> 
> 1: Neo is going to join the League of Villains, that much was obvious. I also find it ironic that Dabi's getting introduced to this series the same week that 290 drops. ...I'm still over the moon about that.
> 
> 2: There is a reason that Ruby panics over seeing Shigaraki here when she didn't during the USJ. It simply has to do with the fact that she couldn't see his face then. It was seeing his face that set her off. And I have a reason for that as well, but that's to remain a secret for now. Gotta keep that special slow burn going.
> 
> 3: As I said before, i will be continuing on with this series! I love it so much, and the support for it is astounding. How could I not? However, the time between it's release and now will be far greater than between V1 and V2, simply due to the length of it all and the fact that I am taking a break for a while. I will be posting something short over the winter holiday as a treat for y'all, that being an adaptation of Two Heroes. Consider it a little gift from me to you.
> 
> But yeah, I am doing a third volume for this crossover. The ETA for that is some time in spring, I'm not quite sure when, but I know that releasing it in spring will give me enough time to do what I need to do. I do have some of the plot mapped out, bits and pieces written, but it's nothing coherent. Just some stuff that I came up with while watching/reading BNHA. I still need to connect them all together. 
> 
> I even have a title for V3: Falling and Rising. We'll covering the summer arcs in that one: The Training Camp, Kamino, Provisional Licenses and dipping our toes into the first few chapters of Shie Hassaikai by introducing the Big Three. We also got more RWBY characters coming into the mix! I have plans for Qrow to finally make his debut as well as another one of my favorite villains to finally get a turn in the spotlight. There's also two of my favorite huntsmen/heroes-in-training getting to show up during the Provisional License arc, so get ready for them!
> 
> I apologize for rambling like that. I'm just excited that we got to this point with so much support.
> 
> If anyone wants more content for the crossover while waiting for V3, I do post artwork and previews for chapters a week before they're posted on Ao3 over on my tumblr. If anyone who doesn't know it already want the URL, let me know. But be warned, there are also minor (and a few major) spoilers for some parts of the series on tumblr, too. Read at your own risk.
> 
> Thank you all so much! I love you guys, and I'll see you in the next installment of the series!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Osira](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29444979) by [MaxiemumDamage](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaxiemumDamage/pseuds/MaxiemumDamage)




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